Set Theory

Chapter 5
Set Theory
5.1 Sets and Operations on Sets
Preview Activity 1 (Set Operations)

Before beginning this section, it would be a good idea to review sets and set nota-
tion, including the roster method and set builder notation, in Section 2.3.
In Section 2.1, we used logical operators (conjunction, disjunction, negation)
to form new statements from existing statements. In a similar manner, there are
several ways to create new sets from sets that have already been defined. In fact,
we will form these new sets using the logical operators of conjunction (and), dis-
junction (or), and negation (not). For example, if the universal set is the set of
natural numbers N and
A D f1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6g and B D f1; 3; 5; 7; 9g;
The set consisting of all natural numbers that are in A and are in B is the set
f1; 3; 5g;
The set consisting of all natural numbers that are in A or are in B is the set
f1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 9g; and
The set consisting of all natural numbers that are in A and are not in B is the
set f2; 4; 6g.
These sets are examples of some of the most common set operations, which are
given in the following definitions.
215
216 Chapter 5. Set Theory
Definition. Let A and B be subsets of some universal set U. The intersection

of A and B, written A \ B and read “A intersect B,” is the set of all elements
that are in both A and B. That is,
A \ B D fx 2 U j x 2 A and x 2 Bg:
The union of A and B, written A [ B and read “A union B,” is the set of all
elements that are in A or in B. That is,
A [ B D fx 2 U j x 2 A or x 2 Bg :
Definition. Let A and B be subsets of some universal set U. The set differ-
ence of A and B, or relative complement of B with respect to A, written
A B and read “A minus B” or “the complement of B with respect to A,” is
the set of all elements in A that are not in B. That is,
A B D fx 2 U j x 2 A and x … Bg:
The complement of the set A, written Ac and read “the complement of A,”
is the set of all elements of U that are not in A. That is,
Ac D fx 2 U j x … Ag:
For the rest of this preview activity, the universal set is U D f0; 1; 2; 3; : : : ; 10g,
and we will use the following subsets of U :
A D f0; 1; 2; 3; 9g and B D f2; 3; 4; 5; 6g.
So in this case, A \ B D fx 2 U j x 2 A and x 2 Bg D f2; 3g. Use the roster

method to specify each of the following subsets of U .
1. A [ B 2. Ac 3. B c
We can now use these sets to form even more sets. For example,
A \ B c D f0; 1; 2; 3; 9g \ f0; 1; 7; 8; 9; 10g D f0; 1; 9g:
Use the roster method to specify each of the following subsets of U .

5.1. Sets and Operations on Sets 217
4. A [ B c 5. Ac \ B c 6. Ac [ B c 7. .A \ B/c
Preview Activity 2 (Venn Diagrams for Two Sets)

In Preview Activity 1, we worked with verbal and symbolic definitions of set op-
erations. However, it is also helpful to have a visual representation of sets. Venn
diagrams are used to represent sets by circles (or some other closed geometric
shape) drawn inside a rectangle. The points inside the rectangle represent the uni-
versal set U , and the elements of a set are represented by the points inside the
circle that represents the set. For example, Figure 5.1 is a Venn diagram showing
two sets.
A B
1 2 3
Figure 5.1: Venn Diagram for Two Sets
In Figure 5.1, the elements of A are represented by the points inside the left circle,
and the elements of B are represented by the points inside the right circle. The four
distinct regions in the diagram are numbered for reference purposes only. (The
numbers do not represent elements in a set.) The following table describes the four
regions in the diagram.
Region Elements of U Set

1 In A and not in B A B
2 In A and in B A\B
3 In B and not in A B A
4 Not in A and not in B Ac \ B c
We can use these regions to represent other sets. For example, the set A [ B is
represented by regions 1, 2, and 3 or the shaded region in Figure 5.2.
A B
1 2 3
Figure 5.2: Venn Diagram for A [ B
Let A and B be subsets of a universal set U . For each of the following, draw a
Venn diagram for two sets and shade the region that represent the specified set. In
addition, describe the set using set builder notation.
1. Ac 3. Ac [ B 5. .A \ B/c
2. B c 4. Ac [ B c 6. .A [ B/ .A \ B/
Set Equality, Subsets, and Proper Subsets
In Section 2.3, we introduced some basic definitions used in set theory, what it
means to say that two sets are equal and what it means to say that one set is a
subset of another set. See the definitions on page 55. We need one more definition.
Definition. Let A and B be two sets contained in some universal set U . The
set A is a proper subset of B provided that A B and A ¤ B. When A is a
proper subset of B, we write A B.
One reason for the definition of proper subset is that each set is a subset of
itself. That is,
If A is a set, then A A.
However, sometimes we need to indicate that a set X is a subset of Y but X ¤ Y .

For example, if
X D f1; 2g and Y D f0; 1; 2; 3g;
then X Y . We know that X Y since each element of X is an element of Y ,

but X ¤ Y since 0 2 Y and 0 … X . (Also, 3 2 Y and 3 … X .) Notice that the
notations A B and A B are used in a manner similar to inequality notation
for numbers (a < b and a b).
It is often very important to be able to describe precisely what it means to say
that one set is not a subset of the other. In the preceding example, Y is not a subset
of X since there exists an element of Y (namely, 0) that is not in X .
In general, the subset relation is described with the use of a universal quantifier
since A B means that for each element x of U , if x 2 A, then x 2 B. So when
we negate this, we use an existential quantifier as follows:
AB means .8x 2 U / Œ.x 2 A/ ! .x 2 B/.
A 6 B means : .8x 2 U / Œ.x 2 A/ ! .x 2 B/

.9x 2 U / : Œ.x 2 A/ ! .x 2 B/
.9x 2 U / Œ.x 2 A/ ^ .x … B/.
So we see that A 6 B means that there exists an x in U such that x 2 A and

x … B.
Notice that if A D ;, then the conditional statement, “For each x 2 U , if x 2 ;,
then x 2 B” must be true since the hypothesis will always be false. Another way
to look at this is to consider the following statement:
; 6 B means that there exists an x 2 ; such that x … B.
However, this statement must be false since there does not exist an x in ;. Since
this is false, we must conclude that ; B. Although the facts that ; B and
B B may not seem very important, we will use these facts later, and hence we
summarize them in Theorem 5.1.
Theorem 5.1. For any set B, ; B and B B.
In Section 2.3, we also defined two sets to be equal when they have precisely
the same elements. For example,
x 2 R j x 2 D 4 D f 2; 2g:
˚
If the two sets A and B are equal, then it must be true that every element of A is
an element of B, that is, A B, and it must be true that every element of B is
an element of A, that is, B A. Conversely, if A B and B A, then A and

B must have precisely the same elements. This gives us the following test for set
equality:
Theorem 5.2. Let A and B be subsets of some universal set U. Then A D B if

and only if A B and B A.
Progress Check 5.3 (Using Set Notation)

Let the universal set be U D f1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6g, and let
C D x 2 U j x2 2 :
˚
A D f1; 2; 4g; B D f1; 2; 3; 5g;
In each of the following, fill in the blank with one or more of the symbols ;
; D; ¤; 2; or … so that the resulting statement is true. For each blank, include
all symbols that result in a true statement. If none of these symbols makes a true
statement, write nothing in the blank.
A B ; A
5 B f5g B
A C f1; 2g C
f1; 2g A f4; 2; 1g A
6 A B ;
More about Venn Diagrams
In Preview Activity 2, we learned how to use Venn diagrams as a visual represen-

tation for sets, set operations, and set relationships. In that activity, we restricted
ourselves to using two sets. We can, of course, include more than two sets in a
Venn diagram. Figure 5.3 shows a general Venn diagram for three sets (including
a shaded region that corresponds to A \ C ).
In this diagram, there are eight distinct regions, and each region has a unique
reference number. For example, the set A is represented by the combination of re-
gions 1, 2, 4, and 5, whereas the set C is represented by the combination of regions
4, 5, 6, and 7. This means that the set A \ C is represented by the combination of
regions 4 and 5. This is shown as the shaded region in Figure 5.3.
Finally, Venn diagrams can also be used to illustrate special relationships be-
tween sets. For example, if A B, then the circle representing A should be
completely contained in the circle for B. So if A B, and we know nothing about
A B
2
1 3
5
4 6
C
7
8
Figure 5.3: Venn Diagram for A \ C
B C
Figure 5.4: Venn Diagram Showing A B
any relationship between the set C and the sets A and B, we could use the Venn
diagram shown in Figure 5.4.
Progress Check 5.4 (Using Venn Diagrams)

Let A, B, and C be subsets of a universal set U .
1. For each of the following, draw a Venn diagram for three sets and shade the
region(s) that represent the specified set.
(a) .A \ B/ \ C (c) .Ac [ B/

(b) .A \ B/ [ C (d) Ac \ .B [ C /
2. Draw the most general Venn diagram showing B .A [ C /.
3. Draw the most general Venn diagram showing A .B c [ C /.
The Power Set of a Set
The symbol 2 is used to describe a relationship between an element of the univer-

sal set and a subset of the universal set, and the symbol is used to describe a
relationship between two subsets of the universal set. For example, the number 5
is an integer, and so it is appropriate to write 5 2 Z. It is not appropriate, however,
to write 5 Z since 5 is not a set. It is important to distinguish between 5 and
f5g. The difference is that 5 is an integer and f5g is a set consisting of one ele-
ment. Consequently, it is appropriate to write f5g Z, but it is not appropriate to
write f5g 2 Z. The distinction between these two symbols .5 and f5g/ is important
when we discuss what is called the power set of a given set.
Definition. If A is a subset of a universal set U , then the set whose members

are all the subsets of A is called the power set of A. We denote the power set
of A by P.A/ . Symbolically, we write
P.A/ D fX U j X Ag :
That is, X 2 P.A/ if and only if X A.
When dealing with the power set of A, we must always remember that ; A
and A A. For example, if A D fa; bg, then the subsets of A are
;; fag; fbg; fa; bg: (1)
We can write this as

P.A/ D f;; fag; fbg; fa; bgg:
Now let B D fa; b; cg. Notice that B D A [ fcg. We can determine the subsets
of B by starting with the subsets of A in (1). We can form the other subsets of B
by taking the union of each set in (1) with the set fcg. This gives us the following
subsets of B.
fcg; fa; cg; fb; cg; fa; b; cg: (2)
So the subsets of B are those sets in (1) combined with those sets in (2). That is,
the subsets of B are
;; fag; fbg; fa; bg ; fcg; fa; cg; fb; cg; fa; b; cg; (3)
which means that
P.B/ D f;; fag; fbg; fa; bg; fcg; fa; cg; fb; cg; fa; b; cgg:
Notice that we could write
fa; cg B or that fa; cg 2 P.B/:
Also, notice that A has two elements and A has four subsets, and B has three ele-
ments and B has eight subsets. Now, let n be a nonnegative integer. The following
result can be proved using mathematical induction. (See Exercise 17.)
Theorem 5.5. Let n be a nonnegative integer and let T be a subset of some uni-
versal set. If the set T has n elements, then the set T has 2n subsets. That is, P.T /
has 2n elements.
The Cardinality of a Finite Set
In our discussion of the power set, we were concerned with the number of ele-
ments in a set. In fact, the number of elements in a finite set is a distinguishing
characteristic of the set, so we give it the following name.
Definition. The number of elements in a finite set A is called the cardinality

of A and is denoted by card .A/.
For example, card .;/ D 0; card .fa; bg/ D 2; card .P.fa; bg// D 4.
Theoretical Note: There is a mathematical way to distinguish between finite and

infinite sets, and there is a way to define the cardinality of an infinite set. We will
not concern ourselves with this at this time. More about the cardinality of finite
and infinite sets is discussed in Chapter 9.
Standard Number Systems
We can use set notation to specify and help describe our standard number systems.
The starting point is the set of natural numbers, for which we use the roster
method.
N D f1; 2; 3; 4; : : : g
The integers consist of the natural numbers, the negatives of the natural numbers,
and zero. If we let N D f: : : ; 4; 3; 2; 1g, then we can use set union and
write
Z D N [ f0g [ N:
So we see that N Z, and in fact, N Z.
We need to use set builder notation for the set Q of all rational numbers,
which consists of quotients of integers.
n mˇ o
QD ˇ m; n 2 Z and n ¤ 0
ˇ
n
n
Since any integer n can be written as n D , we see that Z Q.
1
We do not yet have the tools to give a complete description of the real numbers.
We will simply say that the real numbers consist of the rational numbers and the
irrational numbers. In effect, the irrational numbers are the complement of the
set of rational numbers Q in R. So we can use the notation Qc D fx 2 R j x … Qg
and write
R D Q [ Qc and Q \ Qc D ;:
A number system that we have not yet discussed is the set of complex numbers.
The complex
p numbers, C, consist of all numbers of the form aCbi , where a; b 2 R
and i D 2
1 (or i D 1). That is,
n ˇ p o
C D a C bi ˇ a; b 2 R and i D 1 :
ˇ
We can add and multiply complex numbers as follows: If a; b; c; d 2 R, then

.a C bi / C .c C d i / D .a C c/ C .b C d / i; and
.a C bi / .c C d i / D ac C ad i C bci C bd i 2
D .ac bd / C .ad C bc/ i:
Exercises for Section 5.1

? 1. Assume the universal set is the set of real numbers. Let
B D x 2 Rj x 2 D 4 or x 2 D 9 ;
˚
A D f 3; 2; 2; 3g;
C D x 2 R j x2 C 2 D 0 ;
˚
D D fx 2 R j x > 0g:
Respond to each of the following questions. In each case, explain your an-
swer.
(a) Is the set A equal to the set B?

(b) Is the set A a subset of the set B?
(c) Is the set C equal to the set D?
(d) Is the set C a subset of the set D?
(e) Is the set A a subset of the set D?
?
2. (a) Explain why the set fa; bg is equal to the set fb; ag.
(b) Explain why the set fa; b; b; a; cg is equal to the set fb; c; ag.
?
3. Assume that the universal set is the set of integers. Let
B D x 2 Z j x2 9 ;
˚
A D f 3; 2; 2; 3g;
C D f x 2 Zj x 3g; D D f1; 2; 3; 4g:
In each of the following, fill in the blank with one or more of the symbols ,
, 6, D , ¤, 2, or … so that the resulting statement is true. For each blank,
include all symbols that result in a true statement. If none of these symbols
makes a true statement, write nothing in the blank.
A B ; A
5 C f5g C
A C f1; 2g B
f1; 2g A f3; 2; 1g D
4 B D ;
card .A/ card .D/ card .A/ card .B/
A P.A/ A P.B/
?
4. Write all of the proper subset relations that are possible using the sets of
numbers N, Z, Q, and R.
?
5. For each statement, write a brief, clear explanation of why the statement is
true or why it is false.
(a) The set fa; bg is a subset of fa; c; d; eg.

(b) The set f 2; 0; 2g is equal to x 2 Z j x is even and x 2 < 5 .
˚
(c) The empty set ; is a subset of f1g.

(d) If A D fa; bg, then the set fag is a subset of P.A/.
6. Use the definitions of set intersection, set union, and set difference to write
useful negations of these definitions. That is, complete each of the following
sentences
?
(a) x … A \ B if and only if : : : :
(b) x … A [ B if and only if : : : :
(c) x … A B if and only if : : : :
?
7. Let U D f1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10g, and let
A D f3; 4; 5; 6; 7g; B D f1; 5; 7; 9g;

C D f3; 6; 9g; D D f2; 4; 6; 8g:
Use the roster method to list all of the elements of each of the following sets.
(a) A \ B (h) .A \ C / [ .B \ C /
(b) A [ B (i) B \ D
(c) .A [ B/c (j) .B \ D/c
(d) Ac \ B c (k) A D
(e) .A [ B/ \ C (l) B D
(f) A \ C (m) .A D/ [ .B D/
(g) B \ C (n) .A [ B/ D
8. Let U D N, and let
A D fx 2 N j x 7g; B D fx 2 N j x is oddg;
C D fx 2 N j x is a multiple of 3g; D D fx 2 N j x is eveng:
Use the roster method to list all of the elements of each of the following sets.
(a) A \ B (g) B \ D
(b) A [ B (h) .B \ D/c
(c) .A [ B/c (i) A D
(d) Ac \ B c (j) B D
(e) .A [ B/ \ C (k) .A D/ [ .B D/
(f) .A \ C / [ .B \ C / (l) .A [ B/ D
9. Let P , Q, R, and S be subsets of a universal set U . Assume that

.P Q/ .R \ S /.
(a) Complete the following sentence:

For each x 2 U , if x 2 .P Q/, then : : : :
? (b) Write a useful negation of the statement in Part (9a).
(c) Write the contrapositive of the statement in Part (9a).
10. Let U be the universal set. Consider the following statement:
For all A and B that are subsets of U , if A B, then B c Ac .

?
(a) Identify three conditional statements in the given statement.
(b) Write the contrapositive of this statement.
(c) Write the negation of this statement.
11. Let A, B, and C be subsets of some universal set U . Draw a Venn diagram
for each of the following situations.
(a) A C
(b) A \ B D ;
(c) A 6 B; B 6 A; C A; and C 6 B
(d) A B; C B; and A \ C D ;
12. Let A, B, and C be subsets of some universal set U . For each of the fol-
lowing, draw a general Venn diagram for the three sets and then shade the
indicated region.
(a) A \ B (d) B [ C
(b) A \ C (e) A \ .B [ C /
(c) .A \ B/ [ .A \ C / (f) .A \ B/ C
13. We can extend the idea of consecutive integers (See Exercise (10) in Sec-
tion 3.5) to represent four consecutive integers as m, m C 1, m C 2, and
m C 3, where m is an integer. There are other ways to represent four con-
secutive integers. For example, if k 2 Z, then k 1, k, k C 1, and k C 2 are
four consecutive integers.
(a) Prove that for each n 2 Z, n is the sum of four consecutive integers if
and only if n 2 .mod 4/.
(b) Use set builder notation or the roster method to specify the set of inte-
gers that are the sum of four consecutive integers.
(c) Specify the set of all natural numbers that can be written as the sum of
four consecutive natural numbers.
(d) Prove that for each n 2 Z, n is the sum of eight consecutive integers if
and only if n 4 .mod 8/.
(e) Use set builder notation or the roster method to specify the set of inte-
gers that are the sum of eight consecutive integers.
(f) Specify the set of all natural numbers can be written as the sum of eight
consecutive natural numbers.
14. One of the properties of real numbers is the so-called Law of Trichotomy,
which states that if a; b 2 R, then exactly one of the following is true:
a < b; a D b; a > b.
Is the following proposition concerning sets true or false? Either provide a

proof that it is true or a counterexample showing it is false.
If A and B are subsets of some universal set, then exactly one of the follow-
ing is true:
A B; A D B; B A.
Explorations and Activities
15. Intervals of Real Numbers. In previous mathematics courses, we have fre-

quently used subsets of the real numbers called intervals. There are some
common names and notations for intervals. These are given in the following
table, where it is assumed that a and b are real numbers and a < b.
Interval
Notation Set Notation Name
.a; b/ D fx 2 R j a < x < bg Open interval from a to b
Œa; b D fx 2 R j a x bg Closed interval from a to b
Œa; b/ D fx 2 R j a x < bg Half-open interval
.a; b D fx 2 R j a < x bg Half-open interval
.a; C1/ D f x 2 Rj x > ag Open ray
. 1; b/ D f x 2 Rj x < bg Open ray
Œa; C1/ D f x 2 Rj x ag Closed ray
. 1; b D f x 2 Rj x bg Closed ray
(a) Is .a; b/ a proper subset of .a; b? Explain.

(b) Is Œa; b a subset of .a; C1/? Explain.
(c) Use interval notation to describe
i. the intersection of the interval Œ 3; 7 with the interval .5; 9;
ii. the union of the interval Œ 3; 7 with the interval .5; 9;
iii. the set difference Œ 3; 7 .5; 9.
(d) Write the set fx 2 R j jxj 0:01g using interval notation.
(e) Write the set fx 2 R j jxj > 2g as the union of two intervals.
16. More Work with Intervals. For this exercise, use the interval notation de-
scribed in Exercise 15.
(a) Determine the intersection and union of Œ2; 5 and Œ 1; C1/.

(b) Determine the intersection and union of Œ2; 5 and Œ3:4; C1/.
(c) Determine the intersection and union of Œ2; 5 and Œ7; C1/.
Now let a, b, and c be real numbers with a < b.
(d) Explain why the intersection of Œa; b and Œc; C1/ is either a closed
interval, a set with one element, or the empty set.
(e) Explain why the union of Œa; b and Œc; C1/ is either a closed ray or
the union of a closed interval and a closed ray.
17. Proof of Theorem 5.5. To help with the proof by induction of Theorem 5.5,
we first prove the following lemma. (The idea for the proof of this lemma
was illustrated with the discussion of power set after the definition on page 222.)
Lemma 5.6. Let A and B be subsets of some universal set. If A D B [ fxg,

where x … B, then any subset of A is either a subset of B or a set of the form
C [ fxg, where C is a subset of B.
Proof. Let A and B be subsets of some universal set, and assume that A D
B [ fxg where x … B. Let Y be a subset of A. We need to show that Y is a
subset of B or that Y D C [ fxg, where C is some subset of B. There are
two cases to consider: (1) x is not an element of Y, and (2) x is an element
of Y.
Case 1: Assume that x … Y. Let y 2 Y . Then y 2 A and y ¤ x. Since
A D B [ fxg;
this means that y must be in B. Therefore, Y B.
Case 2: Assume that x 2 Y. In this case, let C D Y fxg. Then every

element of C is an element of B. Hence, we can conclude that C B and
that Y D C [ fxg.
Cases (1) and (2) show that if Y A, then Y B or Y D C [ fxg, where

C B.
To begin the induction proof of Theorem 5.5, for each nonnegative integer
n, we let P .n/ be, “If a finite set has exactly n elements, then that set has
exactly 2n subsets.”
(a) Verify that P .0/ is true. (This is the basis step for the induction proof.)
(b) Verify that P .1/ and P .2/ are true.
(c) Now assume that k is a nonnegative integer and assume that P .k/ is
true. That is, assume that if a set has k elements, then that set has 2k
subsets. (This is the inductive assumption for the induction proof.)
Let T be a subset of the universal set with card .T / D k C 1, and let
x 2 T . Then the set B D T fxg has k elements.
Now use the inductive assumption to determine how many subsets B
has. Then use Lemma 5.6 to prove that T has twice as many subsets
as B. This should help complete the inductive step for the induction
proof.
5.2 Proving Set Relationships
Preview Activity 1 (Working with Two Specific Sets)

Let S be the set of all integers that are multiples of 6, and let T be the set of all
even integers.
1. List at least four different positive elements of S and at least four different
negative elements of S . Are all of these integers even?
2. Use the roster method to specify the sets S and T . (See Section 2.3 for
a review of the roster method.) Does there appear to be any relationship
between these two sets? That is, does it appear that the sets are equal or that
one set is a subset of the other set?
5.2. Proving Set Relationships 231
3. Use set builder notation to specify the sets S and T . (See Section 2.3 for a
review of the set builder notation.)
4. Using appropriate definitions, describe what it means to say that an integer

x is a multiple of 6 and what it means to say that an integer y is even.
5. In order to prove that S is a subset of T , we need to prove that for each

integer x, if x 2 S , then x 2 T .
Complete the know-show table in Table 5.1 for the proposition that S is a
subset of T .
This table is in the form of a proof method called the choose-an-element
method. This method is frequently used when we encounter a universal
quantifier in a statement in the backward process. (In this case, this is Step
Q1.) The key is that we have to prove something about all elements in Z.
We can then add something to the forward process by choosing an arbitrary
element from the set S . (This is done in Step P1.) This does not mean that
we can choose a specific element of S . Rather, we must give the arbitrary
element a name and use only the properties it has by being a member of the
set S . In this case, the element is a multiple of 6.
Step Know Reason

P S is the set of all integers that Hypothesis
are multiples of 6. T is the set of
all even integers.
P1 Let x 2 S . Choose an arbitrary element
of S .
P2 .9m 2 Z/ .x D 6m/ Definition of “multiple”
:: :: ::
: : :
Q2 x is an element of T . x is even
Q1 .8x 2 Z/ Œ.x 2 S / ! .x 2 T / Step P1 and Step Q2
Q S T. Definition of “subset”
Step Show Reason
Table 5.1: Know-show table for Preview Activity 1

Preview Activity 2 (Working with Venn Diagrams)
1. Draw a Venn diagram for two sets, A and B, with the assumption that A is
a subset of B. On this Venn diagram, lightly shade the area corresponding
to Ac . Then, determine the region on the Venn diagram that corresponds to
B c . What appears to be the relationship between Ac and B c ? Explain.
2. Draw a general Venn diagram for two sets, A and B. First determine the
region that corresponds to the set A B and then, on the Venn diagram, shade
the region corresponding to A .A B/ and shade the region corresponding
to A \ B. What appears to be the relationship between these two sets?
Explain.
In this section, we will learn how to prove certain relationships about sets. Two
of the most basic types of relationships between sets are the equality relation and
the subset relation. So if we are asked a question of the form, “How are the sets A
and B related?”, we can answer the question if we can prove that the two sets are
equal or that one set is a subset of the other set. There are other ways to answer this,
but we will concentrate on these two for now. This is similar to asking a question
about how two real numbers are related. Two real numbers can be related by the
fact that they are equal or by the fact that one number is less than the other number.
The Choose-an-Element Method
The method of proof we will use in this section can be called the choose-an-
element method. This method was introduced in Preview Activity 1. This method
is frequently used when we encounter a universal quantifier in a statement in the
backward process. This statement often has the form
For each element with a given property, something happens.
Since most statements with a universal quantifier can be expressed in the form of a
conditional statement, this statement could have the following equivalent form:
If an element has a given property, then something happens.
We will illustrate this with the proposition from Preview Activity 1. This proposi-
tion can be stated as follows:
Let S be the set of all integers that are multiples of 6, and let T be the set of
all even integers. Then S is a subset of T.
In Preview Activity 1, we worked on a know-show table for this proposition. The

key was that in the backward process, we encountered the following statement:
Each element of S is an element of T or, more precisely, if x 2 S, then

x 2 T.
In this case, the “element” is an integer, the “given property” is that it is an ele-
ment of S , and the “something that happens” is that the element is also an element
of T . One way to approach this is to create a list of all elements with the given
property and verify that for each one, the “something happens.” When the list is
short, this may be a reasonable approach. However, as in this case, when the list is
infinite (or even just plain long), this approach is not practical.
We overcome this difficulty by using the choose-an-element method, where
we choose an arbitrary element with the given property. So in this case, we choose
an integer x that is a multiple of 6. We cannot use a specific multiple of 6 (such as
12 or 24), but rather the only thing we can assume is that the integer satisfies the
property that it is a multiple of 6. This is the key part of this method.
Whenever we choose an arbitrary element with a given property,

we are not selecting a specific element. Rather, the only thing we
can assume about the element is the given property.
It is important to realize that once we have chosen the arbitrary element, we have
added information to the forward process. So in the know-show table for this
proposition, we added the statement, “Let x 2 S ” to the forward process. Follow-
ing is a completed proof of this proposition following the outline of the know-show
table from Preview Activity 1.
Proposition 5.7. Let S be the set of all integers that are multiples of 6, and let T be
the set of all even integers. Then S is a subset of T.
Proof. Let S be the set of all integers that are multiples of 6, and let T be the set
of all even integers. We will show that S is a subset of T by showing that if an
integer x is an element of S , then it is also an element of T .
Let x 2 S . (Note: The use of the word “let” is often an indication that the we
are choosing an arbitrary element.) This means that x is a multiple of 6. Therefore,
there exists an integer m such that
x D 6m:
Since 6 D 2 3, this equation can be written in the form
x D 2.3m/:
By closure properties of the integers, 3m is an integer. Hence, this last equation

proves that x must be even. Therefore, we have shown that if x is an element of S ,
then x is an element of T , and hence that S T .
Having proved that S is a subset of T , we can now ask if S is actually equal

to T . The work we did in Preview Activity 1 can help us answer this question. In
that activity, we should have found several elements that are in T but not in S . For
example, the integer 2 is in T since 2 is even but 2 … S since 2 is not a multiple of
6. Therefore, S ¤ T and we can also conclude that S is a proper subset of T .
One reason we do this in a “two-step” process is that it is much easier to work
with the subset relation than the proper subset relation. The subset relation is de-
fined by a conditional statement and most of our work in mathematics deals with
proving conditional statements. In addition, the proper subset relation is a conjunc-
tion of two statements (S T and S ¤ T ) and so it is natural to deal with the two
parts of the conjunction separately.
Progress Check 5.8 (Subsets and Set Equality)

Let A D fx 2 Z j x is a multiple of 9g and let B D fx 2 Z j x is a multiple of 3g.
1. Is the set A a subset of B? Justify your conclusion.
2. Is the set A equal to the set B? Justify your conclusion.
Progress Check 5.9 (Using the Choose-an-Element Method)

The Venn diagram in Preview Activity 2 suggests that the following proposition is
true.
Proposition 5.10. Let A and B be subsets of the universal set U . If A B, then

B c Ac .
1. The conclusion of the conditional statement is B c Ac . Explain why we

should try the choose-an-element method to prove this proposition.
2. Complete the following know-show table for this proposition and explain
exactly where the choose-an-element method is used.
Step Know Reason

P AB Hypothesis
P1 Let x 2 B c . Choose an arbitrary
element of B c .
P2 (8t 2 U /(If t 2 A, then t 2 B). Definition of “subset”
:: :: ::
: : :
Q1 .8t 2 U /( If t 2 B c , then t 2 Ac ).
Q B c Ac Definition of “subset”
Step Show Reason
Proving Set Equality
One way to prove that two sets are equal is to use Theorem 5.2 and prove each of
the two sets is a subset of the other set. In particular, let A and B be subsets of some
universal set. Theorem 5.2 states that A D B if and only if A B and B A.
In Preview Activity 2, we created a Venn diagram that indicated that
A .A B/ D A \ B. Following is a proof of this result. Notice where the
choose-an-element method is used in each case.
Proposition 5.11. Let A and B be subsets of some universal set. Then
A .A B/ D A \ B.
Proof. Let A and B be subsets of some universal set. We will prove that
A .A B/ D A \ B by proving that A .A B/ A \ B and that
A \ B A .A B/.
First, let x 2 A .A B/. This means that
x 2 A and x … .A B/:
We know that an element is in .A B/ if and only if it is in A and not in B. Since

x … .A B/, we conclude that x … A or x 2 B. However, we also know that
x 2 A and so we conclude that x 2 B. This proves that
x 2 A and x 2 B:
This means that x 2 A \ B, and hence we have proved that A .A B/ A \ B.

Now choose y 2 A \ B. This means that
y 2 A and y 2 B:
We note that y 2 .A B/ if and only if y 2 A and y … B and hence, y … .A B/

if and only if y … A or y 2 B. Since we have proved that y 2 B, we conclude that
y … .A B/, and hence, we have established that y 2 A and y … .A B/. This
proves that if y 2 A \ B, then y 2 A .A B/ and hence, A \ B A .A B/.
Since we have proved that A .A B/ A \ B and A \ B A .A B/,
we conclude that A .A B/ D A \ B.
Progress Check 5.12 (Set Equality)

Prove the following proposition. To do so, prove each set is a subset of the other
set by using the choose-an-element method.
Proposition 5.13. Let A and B be subsets of some universal set. Then A B D

A \ Bc.
Disjoint Sets
Earlier in this section, we discussed the concept of set equality and the relation
of one set being a subset of another set. There are other possible relationships
between two sets; one is that the sets are disjoint. Basically, two sets are disjoint if
and only if they have nothing in common. We express this formally in the following
definition.
Definition. Let A and B be subsets of the universal set U . The sets A and B
are said to be disjoint provided that A \ B D ;.
For example, the Venn diagram in Figure 5.5 shows two sets A and B with
A B. The shaded region is the region that represents B c . From the Venn
diagram, it appears that A \ B c D ;. This means that A and B c are disjoint. The
preceding example suggests that the following proposition is true:
If A B, then A \ B c D ;.
If we would like to prove this proposition, a reasonable “backward question” is,

“How do we prove that a set .namely A \ B c / is equal to the empty set?”
B
A
Figure 5.5: Venn Diagram with A B
This question seems difficult to answer since how do we prove that a set is
empty? This is an instance where proving the contrapositive or using a proof by
contradiction could be reasonable approaches. To illustrate these methods, let us
assume the proposition we are trying to prove is of the following form:
If P , then T D ;.
If we choose to prove the contrapositive or use a proof by contradiction, we will

assume that T ¤ ;. These methods can be outlined as follows:
The contrapositive of “If P , then T D ;” is, “If T ¤ ;, then :P .” So in

this case, we would assume T ¤ ; and try to prove :P .
Using a proof by contradiction, we would assume P and assume that T ¤ ;.

From these two assumptions, we would attempt to derive a contradiction.
One advantage of these methods is that when we assume that T ¤ ;, then we know
that there exists an element in the set T . We can then use that element in the rest of
the proof. We will prove one of the conditional statements for Proposition 5.14 by
proving its contrapositive. The proof of the other conditional statement associated
with Proposition 5.14 is Exercise (10).
Proposition 5.14. Let A and B be subsets of some universal set. Then A B if

and only if A \ B c D ;.
Proof. Let A and B be subsets of some universal set. We will first prove that if
A B, then A \ B c D ;, by proving its contrapositive. That is, we will prove
If A \ B c ¤ ;, then A 6 B.
So assume that A \ B c ¤ ;. We will prove that A 6 B by proving that there must

exist an element x such that x 2 A and x … B.
Since A \ B c ¤ ;, there exists an element x that is in A \ B c . This means
that
x 2 A and x 2 B c :
Now, the fact that x 2 B c means that x … B. Hence, we can conclude that
x 2 A and x … B:
This means that A 6 B, and hence, we have proved that if A \ B c ¤ ;, then

A 6 B, and therefore, we have proved that if A B, then A \ B c D ;.
The proof that if A \ B c D ;, then A B is Exercise (10).
Progress Check 5.15 (Proving Two Sets Are Disjoint)

It has been noted that it is often possible to prove that two sets are disjoint by
using a proof by contradiction. In this case, we assume that the two sets are not
disjoint and hence, their intersection is not empty. Use this method to prove that
the following two sets are disjoint.
A D fx 2 Z j x 3 .mod 12/g and B D fy 2 Z j y 2 .mod 8/g:
A Final Comment
We have used the choose-an-element method to prove Propositions 5.7, 5.11,

and 5.14. Proofs involving sets that use this method are sometimes referred to as
element-chasing proofs. This name is used since the basic method is to choose an
arbitrary element from one set and “chase it” until you prove it must be in another
set.

? 1. Let A D x 2 Rj x 2 < 4 and let B D fx 2 R j x < 2g.
˚
(a) Is A B? Justify your conclusion with a proof or a counterexample.

(b) Is B A? Justify your conclusion with a proof or a counterexample.
2. Let A, B, and C be subsets of a universal set U .
(a) Draw a Venn diagram with A B and B C . Does it appear that

A C?
(b) Prove the following proposition:
If A B and B C , then A C .
Note: This may seem like an obvious result. However, one of the
reasons for this exercise is to provide practice at properly writing a
proof that one set is a subset of another set. So we should start the
proof by assuming that A B and B C . Then we should choose an
arbitrary element of A.
? 3. Let A D fx 2 Z j x 7 .mod 8/g and B D fx 2 Z j x 3 .mod 4/g.
(a) List at least five different elements of the set A and at least five elements
of the set B.
(b) Is A B? Justify your conclusion with a proof or a counterexample.
(c) Is B A? Justify your conclusion with a proof or a counterexample.
4. Let C D fx 2 Z j x 7 .mod 9/g and D D fx 2 Z j x 1 .mod 3/g.
(a) List at least five different elements of the set C and at least five ele-
ments of the set D.
(b) Is C D? Justify your conclusion with a proof or a counterexample.
(c) Is D C ? Justify your conclusion with a proof or a counterexample.
5. In each case, determine if A B, B A, A D B, or A \ B D ; or none

of these.
?
(a) A D fx 2 Z j x 2 .mod 3/g and B D fy 2 Z j 6 divides .2y 4/g.
(b) A D fx 2 Z j x 3 .mod 4/g and B D fy 2 Z j 3 divides .y 2/g.
? (c) A D fx 2 Z j x 1 .mod 5/g and B D fy 2 Z j y 7 .mod 10/g.
6. To prove the following set equalities, it may be necessary to use some of

the properties of positive and negative real numbers. For example, it may be
necessary to use the facts that:
The product of two real numbers is positive if and only if the two real
numbers are either both positive or both negative.
The product of two real numbers is negative if and only if one of the
two numbers is positive and the other is negative.
For example, if x .x 2/ < 0, then we can conclude that either (1) x < 0
and x 2 > 0 or (2) x > 0 and x 2 < 0. However, in the first case, we
must have x < 0 and x > 2, and this is impossible. Therefore, we conclude
that x > 0 and x 2 < 0, which means that 0 < x < 2.
Use the choose-an-element method to prove each of the following:
(a) x 2 R j x 2 3x 10 < 0 D fx 2 R j 2 < x < 5g

˚
(b) x 2 R j x 2 5x C 6 < 0 D fx 2 R j 2 < x < 3g

˚
(c) x 2 R j x 2 4 D fx 2 R j x 2g [ fx 2 R j x 2g
˚
7. Let A and B be subsets of some universal set U . Prove each of the following:
? ?
(a) A \ B A (c) A \ A D A (e) A \ ; D ;
?
(b) A A [ B (d) A [ A D A (f) A [ ; D A
8. Let A and B be subsets of some universal set U . From Proposition 5.10, we

know that if A B, then B c Ac . Now prove the following proposition:
For all sets A and B that are subsets of some universal set U , A B
if and only if B c Ac .
9. Is the following proposition true or false? Justify your conclusion with a

proof or a counterexample.
For all sets A and B that are subsets of some universal set U , the sets
A \ B and A B are disjoint.
?
10. Complete the proof of Proposition 5.14 by proving the following conditional
statement:
Let A and B be subsets of some universal set. If A \ B c D ;, then
AB.
11. Let A, B, C , and D be subsets of some universal set U . Are the following
propositions true or false? Justify your conclusions.
(a) If A B and C D and A and C are disjoint, then B and D are

disjoint.
(b) If A B and C D and B and D are disjoint, then A and C are
disjoint.
12. Let A, B, and C be subsets of a universal set U . Prove:
?
(a) If A B, then A \ C B \ C .
(b) If A B, then A [ C B [ C .
13. Let A, B, and C be subsets of a universal set U . Are the following proposi-
tions true or false? Justify your conclusions.
(a) If A \ C B \ C , then A B.
(b) If A [ C B [ C , then A B.
(c) If A [ C D B [ C , then A D B.
(d) If A \ C D B \ C , then A D B.
(e) If A [ C D B [ C and A \ C D B \ C , then A D B.
14. Prove the following proposition:

For all sets A, B, and C that are subsets of some universal set, if
A \ B D A \ C and Ac \ B D Ac \ C , then B D C .
15. Are the following biconditional statements true or false? Justify your con-
clusion. If a biconditional statement is found to be false, you should clearly
determine if one of the conditional statements within it is true and provide a
proof of this conditional statement.
? (a) For all subsets A and B of some universal set U, A B if and only if
A \ B c D ;.
?
(b) For all subsets A and B of some universal set U, A B if and only if
A [ B D B.
(c) For all subsets A and B of some universal set U, A B if and only if
A \ B D A.
(d) For all subsets A, B, and C of some universal set U, A B [ C if and
only if A B or A C.
(e) For all subsets A, B, and C of some universal set U, A B \ C if and
only if A B and A C.
16. Let S , T , X , and Y be subsets of some universal set. Assume that

(i) S [ T X [ Y; (ii) S \ T D ;; and (iii) X S.
(a) Using assumption (i), what conclusion(s) can be made if it is known

that a 2 T ?
(b) Using assumption (ii), what conclusion(s) can be made if it is known
that a 2 T ?
(c) Using all three assumptions, either prove that T Y or explain why it
is not possible to do so.
17. Evaluation of Proofs

See the instructions for Exercise (19) on page 100 from Section 3.1.
(a) Let A, B, and C be subsets of some universal set. If A 6 B and

B 6 C , then A 6 C .
Proof. We assume that A, B, and C are subsets of some universal set

and that A 6 B and B 6 C . This means that there exists an element x
in A that is not in B and there exists an element x that is in B and not in
C . Therefore, x 2 A and x … C , and we have proved that A 6 C .
(b) Let A, B, and C be subsets of some universal set. If A \ B D A \ C ,

then B D C .
Proof. We assume that A \ B D A \ C and will prove that B D C .

We will first prove that B C .
So let x 2 B. If x 2 A, then x 2 A \ B, and hence, x 2 A \ C .
From this we can conclude that x 2 C . If x … A, then x … A \ B,
and hence, x … A \ C . However, since x … A, we may conclude that
x 2 C . Therefore, B C .
The proof that C B may be done in a similar manner. Hence, B D
C.
(c) Let A, B, and C be subsets of some universal set. If A 6 B and

B C , then A 6 C .
Proof. Assume that A 6 B and B C . Since A 6 B, there exists

an element x such that x 2 A and x … B. Since B C , we may
conclude that x … C . Hence, x 2 A and x … C , and we have proved
that A 6 C .
18. Using the Choose-an-Element Method in a Different Setting. We have

used the choose-an-element method to prove results about sets. This method,
however, is a general proof technique and can be used in settings other than
set theory. It is often used whenever we encounter a universal quantifier in a
statement in the backward process. Consider the following proposition.
Proposition 5.16. Let a, b, and t be integers with t ¤ 0. If t divides a and t

divides b, then for all integers x and y, t divides (ax + by).
(a) Whenever we encounter a new proposition, it is a good idea to ex-

plore the proposition by looking at specific examples. For example, let
a D 20, b D 12, and t D 4. In this case, t j a and t j b. In each of the
following cases, determine the value of .ax C by/ and determine if t
divides .ax C by/.
i. x D 1; y D 1 iv. x D 2; y D 3
ii. x D 1; y D 1 v. x D 2; y D 3
iii. x D 2; y D 2 vi. x D 2; y D 5
(b) Repeat Part (18a) with a D 21, b D 6, and t D 3.
Notice that the conclusion of the conditional statement in this proposition

involves the universal quantifier. So in the backward process, we would
have
Q: For all integers x and y, t divides ax C by.
The “elements” in this sentence are the integers x and y. In this case, these
integers have no “given property” other than that they are integers. The
“something that happens” is that t divides .ax C by/. This means that in the
forward process, we can use the hypothesis of the proposition and choose
integers x and y. That is, in the forward process, we could have
P : a, b, and t are integers with t ¤ 0, t divides a and t divides b.
P1: Let x 2 Z and let y 2 Z.
(c) Complete the following proof of Proposition 5.16.

Proof. Let a, b, and t be integers with t ¤ 0, and assume that t divides

a and t divides b. We will prove that for all integers x and y, t divides
.ax C by/.
So let x 2 Z and let y 2 Z. Since t divides a, there exists an integer m
such that : : : :
5.3 Properties of Set Operations
Preview Activity 1 (Exploring a Relationship between Two Sets)

Let A and B be subsets of some universal set U .
1. Draw two general Venn diagrams for the sets A and B. On one, shade the
region that represents .A [ B/c , and on the other, shade the region that rep-
resents Ac \ B c . Explain carefully how you determined these regions.
2. Based on the Venn diagrams in Part (1), what appears to be the relationship
between the sets .A [ B/c and Ac \ B c ?
Some of the properties of set operations are closely related to some of the logical
operators we studied in Section 2.1. This is due to the fact that set intersection is
defined using a conjunction (and), and set union is defined using a disjunction (or).
For example, if A and B are subsets of some universal set U , then an element x is
in A [ B if and only if x 2 A or x 2 B.
3. Use one of De Morgan’s Laws (Theorem 2.8 on page 48) to explain carefully
what it means to say that an element x is not in A [ B.
4. What does it mean to say that an element x is in Ac ? What does it mean to

say that an element x is in B c ?
5. Explain carefully what it means to say that an element x is in Ac \ B c .
6. Compare your response in Part (3) to your response in Part (5). Are they
equivalent? Explain.
7. How do you think the sets .A [ B/c and Ac \ B c are related? Is this con-
sistent with the Venn diagrams from Part (1)?
5.3. Properties of Set Operations 245
Preview Activity 2 (Proving that Statements Are Equivalent)
1. Let X , Y , and Z be statements. Complete a truth table for

Œ.X ! Y / ^ .Y ! Z/ ! .X ! Z/.
2. Assume that P , Q, and R are statements and that we have proven that the
following conditional statements are true:
If P then Q .P ! Q/. If R then P .R ! P /.

If Q then R .Q ! R/.
Explain why each of the following statements is true.
(a) P if and only if Q .P $ Q/. (c) R if and only if P .R $ P /.

(b) Q if and only if R .Q $ R/.
Remember that X $ Y is logically equivalent to .X ! Y / ^ .Y ! X /.
Algebra of Sets – Part 1
This section contains many results concerning the properties of the set operations.
We have already proved some of the results. Others will be proved in this section or
in the exercises. The primary purpose of this section is to have in one place many
of the properties of set operations that we may use in later proofs. These results
are part of what is known as the algebra of sets or as set theory.
Theorem 5.17. Let A, B, and C be subsets of some universal set U . Then
A \ B A and A A [ B.
If A B, then A \ C B \ C and A [ C B [ C .
Proof. The first part of this theorem was included in Exercise (7) from Section 5.2.
The second part of the theorem was Exercise (12) from Section 5.2.
The next theorem provides many of the properties of set operations dealing
with intersection and union. Many of these results may be intuitively obvious, but
to be complete in the development of set theory, we should prove all of them. We
choose to prove only some of them and leave some as exercises.
Theorem 5.18 (Algebra of Set Operations). Let A, B, and C be subsets of some

universal set U . Then all of the following equalities hold.
Properties of the Empty Set A\;D; A\U DA

and the Universal Set A[;DA A[U DU
Idempotent Laws A\A DA A[ADA
Commutative Laws A\B DB \A A[B DB [A
Associative Laws .A \ B/ \ C D A \ .B \ C /
.A [ B/ [ C D A [ .B [ C /
Distributive Laws A \ .B [ C / D .A \ B/ [ .A \ C /
A [ .B \ C / D .A [ B/ \ .A [ C /
Before proving some of these properties, we note that in Section 5.2, we learned
that we can prove that two sets are equal by proving that each one is a subset of the
other one. However, we also know that if S and T are both subsets of a universal
set U , then
S D T if and only if for each x 2 U , x 2 S if and only if x 2 T .
We can use this to prove that two sets are equal by choosing an element from
one set and chasing the element to the other set through a sequence of “if and only
if” statements. We now use this idea to prove one of the commutative laws.
Proof of One of the Commutative Laws in Theorem 5.18
Proof. We will prove that A \ B D B \ A. Let x 2 U . Then

x 2 A \ B if and only if x 2 A and x 2 B: (1)
However, we know that if P and Q are statements, then P ^ Q is logically equiv-
alent to Q ^ P . Consequently, we can conclude that
x 2 A and x 2 B if and only if x 2 B and x 2 A: (2)
Now we know that
x 2 B and x 2 A if and only if x 2 B \ A: (3)
This means that we can use (1), (2), and (3) to conclude that
x 2 A \ B if and only if x 2 B \ A;
and, hence, we have proved that A \ B D B \ A.
Progress Check 5.19 (Exploring a Distributive Property)

We can use Venn diagrams to explore the more complicated properties in Theo-
rem 5.18, such as the associative and distributive laws. To that end, let A, B, and
C be subsets of some universal set U .
1. Draw two general Venn diagrams for the sets A, B, and C . On one, shade
the region that represents A [ .B \ C /, and on the other, shade the region
that represents .A [ B/ \ .A [ C /. Explain carefully how you determined
these regions.
2. Based on the Venn diagrams in Part (1), what appears to be the relationship
between the sets A [ .B \ C / and .A [ B/ \ .A [ C /?
Proof of One of the Distributive Laws in Theorem 5.18
We will now prove the distributive law explored in Progress Check 5.19. Notice
that we will prove two subset relations, and that for each subset relation, we will
begin by choosing an arbitrary element from a set. Also notice how nicely a proof
dealing with the union of two sets can be broken into cases.
Proof. Let A, B, and C be subsets of some universal set U . We will prove that
A [ .B \ C / D .A [ B/ \ .A [ C / by proving that each set is a subset of the
other set.
We will first prove that A [ .B \ C / .A [ B/ \ .A [ C /. We let
x 2 A [ .B \ C /. Then x 2 A or x 2 B \ C .
So in one case, if x 2 A, then x 2 A [ B and x 2 A [ C . This means that
x 2 .A [ B/ \ .A [ C /.
On the other hand, if x 2 B \ C , then x 2 B and x 2 C . But x 2 B
implies that x 2 A [ B, and x 2 C implies that x 2 A [ C . Since x is in both
sets, we conclude that x 2 .A [ B/ \ .A [ C /. So in both cases, we see that
x 2 .A [ B/ \ .A [ C /, and this proves that A [ .B \ C / .A [ B/ \ .A [ C /.
We next prove that .A [ B/ \ .A [ C / A [ .B \ C /. So let

y 2 .A [ B/ \ .A [ C /. Then, y 2 A [ B and y 2 A [ C . We must prove
that y 2 A [ .B \ C /. We will consider the two cases where y 2 A or y … A. In
the case where y 2 A, we see that y 2 A [ .B \ C /.
So we consider the case that y … A. It has been established that y 2 A [ B and
y 2 A [ C . Since y … A and y 2 A [ B, y must be an element of B. Similarly,
since y … A and y 2 A [ C , y must be an element of C . Thus, y 2 B \ C and,

hence, y 2 A [ .B \ C /.
In both cases, we have proved that y 2 A [ .B \ C /. This proves that
.A [ B/\.A [ C / A[.B \ C /. The two subset relations establish the equality
of the two sets. Thus, A [ .B \ C / D .A [ B/ \ .A [ C /.
Important Properties of Set Complements
The three main set operations are union, intersection, and complementation. The-
orems 5.18 and 5.17 deal with properties of unions and intersections. The next
theorem states some basic properties of complements and the important relations
dealing with complements of unions and complements of intersections. Two rela-
tionships in the next theorem are known as De Morgan’s Laws for sets and are
closely related to De Morgan’s Laws for statements.
Theorem 5.20. Let A and B be subsets of some universal set U . Then the follow-
ing are true:
Basic Properties .Ac /c D A
A B D A \ Bc
Empty Set and Universal Set A ; D A and A U D ;
;c D U and U c D ;
De Morgan’s Laws .A \ B/c D Ac [ B c
.A [ B/c D Ac \ B c
Subsets and Complements A B if and only if B c Ac
Proof. We will only prove one of De Morgan’s Laws, namely, the one that was
explored in Preview Activity 1. The proofs of the other parts are left as exercises.
Let A and B be subsets of some universal set U . We will prove that .A [ B/c D
Ac \ B c by proving that an element is in .A [ B/c if and only if it is in Ac \ B c .
So let x be in the universal set U . Then
x 2 .A [ B/c if and only if x … A [ B; (1)
and
x … A [ B if and only if x … A and x … B: (2)
Combining (1) and (2), we see that
x 2 .A [ B/c if and only if x … A and x … B: (3)

In addition, we know that
x … A and x … B if and only if x 2 Ac and x 2 B c ; (4)
and this is true if and only if x 2 Ac \ B c . So we can use (3) and (4) to conclude
that
x 2 .A [ B/c if and only if x 2 Ac \ B c ;
and, hence, that .A [ B/c D Ac \ B c .
Progress Check 5.21 (Using the Algebra of Sets)
1. Draw two general Venn diagrams for the sets A, B, and C . On one, shade the
region that represents .A [ B/ C , and on the other, shade the region that
represents .A C / [ .B C /. Explain carefully how you determined these
regions and why they indicate that .A [ B/ C D .A C / [ .B C /.
It is possible to prove the relationship suggested in Part (1) by proving that each
set is a subset of the other set. However, the results in Theorems 5.18 and 5.20 can
be used to prove other results about set operations. When we do this, we say that
we are using the algebra of sets to prove the result. For example, we can start by
using one of the basic properties in Theorem 5.20 to write
.A [ B/ C D .A [ B/ \ C c :
We can then use one of the commutative properties to write
.A [ B/ C D .A [ B/ \ C c
D C c \ .A [ B/ :
2. Determine which properties from Theorems 5.18 and 5.20 justify each of
the last three steps in the following outline of the proof that .A [ B/ C D
.A C / [ .B C /.
.A [ B/ C D .A [ B/ \ C c (Theorem 5.20)
c
D C \ .A [ B/ (Commutative Property)
D Cc \ A [ Cc \ B

D A \ Cc [ B \ Cc

D .A C / [ .B C/
Note: It is sometimes difficult to use the properties in the theorems when

the theorems use the same letters to represent the sets as those being used
in the current problem. For example, one of the distributive properties from
Theorems 5.18 can be written as follows: For all sets X , Y , and Z that are
subsets of a universal set U ,
X \ .Y [ Z/ D .X \ Y / [ .X \ Z/ :
Proving that Statements Are Equivalent
When we have a list of three statements P , Q, and R such that each statement in
the list is equivalent to the other two statements in the list, we say that the three
statements are equivalent. This means that each of the statements in the list implies
each of the other statements in the list.
The purpose of Preview Activity 2 was to provide one way to prove that three
(or more) statements are equivalent. The basic idea is to prove a sequence of con-
ditional statements so that there is an unbroken chain of conditional statements
from each statement to every other statement. This method of proof will be used in
Theorem 5.22.
Theorem 5.22. Let A and B be subsets of some universal set U . The following
are equivalent:
1. A B 2. A \ B c D ; 3. Ac [ B D U
Proof. To prove that these are equivalent conditions, we will prove that (1) implies
(2), that (2) implies (3), and that (3) implies (1).
Let A and B be subsets of some universal set U . We have proved that (1)
implies (2) in Proposition 5.14.
To prove that (2) implies (3), we will assume that A \ B c D ; and use the fact
that ;c D U . We then see that
c
A \ B c D ;c :
Then, using one of De Morgan’s Laws, we obtain

c
Ac [ B c D U
Ac [ B D U:
This completes the proof that (2) implies (3).

We now need to prove that (3) implies (1). We assume that Ac [ B D U and
will prove that A B by proving that every element of A must be in B.
So let x 2 A. Then we know that x … Ac . However, x 2 U and since
Ac [ B D U , we can conclude that x 2 Ac [ B. Since x … Ac , we conclude that
x 2 B. This proves that A B and hence that (3) implies (1).
Since we have now proved that (1) implies (2), that (2) implies (3), and that (3)
implies (1), we have proved that the three conditions are equivalent.
1. Let A be a subset of some universal set U. Prove each of the following (from
Theorem 5.20):
? (a) .Ac /c D A ? (c) ;c D U

(b) A ;DA (d) U c D ;
? 2. Let A, B, and C be subsets of some universal set U. As part of Theorem 5.18,

we proved one of the distributive laws. Prove the other one. That is, prove
that
A \ .B [ C / D .A \ B/ [ .A \ C /:
3. Let A, B, and C be subsets of some universal set U . As part of Theo-

rem 5.20, we proved one of De Morgan’s Laws. Prove the other one. That
is, prove that
.A \ B/c D Ac [ B c :
4. Let A, B, and C be subsets of some universal set U.

? (a) Draw two general Venn diagrams for the sets A, B, and C . On one,
shade the region that represents A .B [ C /, and on the other, shade
the region that represents .A B/ \ .A C /. Based on the Venn
diagrams, make a conjecture about the relationship between the sets
A .B [ C / and .A B/ \ .A C /.
(b) Use the choose-an-element method to prove the conjecture from Exer-
cise (4a).
? (c) Use the algebra of sets to prove the conjecture from Exercise (4a).
(a) Draw two general Venn diagrams for the sets A, B, and C . On one,
shade the region that represents A .B \ C /, and on the other, shade
the region that represents .A B/ [ .A C /. Based on the Venn
A .B \ C / and .A B/ [ .A C /.
(b) Use the choose-an-element method to prove the conjecture from Exer-
cise (5a).
(c) Use the algebra of sets to prove the conjecture from Exercise (5a).
6. Let A, B, and C be subsets of some universal set U. Prove or disprove each

of the following:
? (a) .A \ B/ C D .A C / \ .B C/
(b) .A [ B/ .A \ B/ D .A B/ [ .B A/
shade the region that represents A .B C /, and on the other, shade
the region that represents .A B/ C . Based on the Venn diagrams,
make a conjecture about the relationship between the sets A .B C /
and .A B/ C . (Are the two sets equal? If not, is one of the sets a
subset of the other set?)
(b) Prove the conjecture from Exercise (7a).
shade the region that represents A .B C /, and on the other, shade
the region that represents .A B/ [ .A C c /. Based on the Venn
A .B C / and .A B/ [ .A C c /. (Are the two sets equal? If
not, is one of the sets a subset of the other set?)
(b) Prove the conjecture from Exercise (8a).
9. Let A and B be subsets of some universal set U.

?
(a) Prove that A and B A are disjoint sets.
(b) Prove that A [ B D A [ .B A/.
10. Let A and B be subsets of some universal set U .
(a) Prove that A B and A \ B are disjoint sets.

(b) Prove that A D .A B/ [ .A \ B/.
11. Let A and B be subsets of some universal set U. Prove or disprove each of
the following:
(a) A .A \ B c / D A \ B
(b) .Ac [ B/c \ A D A B
(c) .A [ B/ ADB A
(d) .A [ B/ B DA .A \ B/
12. Evaluation of proofs

See the instructions for Exercise (19) on page 100 from Section 3.1.
(a) If A, B, and C are subsets of some universal set U , then A .B C/ D

A .B [ C /.
Proof.
A .B C / D .A B/ .A C/
c
\ A \ Cc

D A\B
D A \ Bc \ C c

D A \ .B [ C /c
DA .B [ C /

(b) If A, B, and C are subsets of some universal set U , then A .B [ C / D

.A B/ \ .A C /.
Proof. We first write A .B [ C / D A \ .B [ C /c and then use one

of De Morgan’s Laws to obtain
A .B [ C / D A \ B c \ C c :

We now use the fact that A D A \ A and obtain

A .B [ C / D A \ A \ B c \ C c D .A \ B c / \ .A \ C c / D
.A B/ \ .A C /.
13. (Comparison to Properties of the Real Numbers). The following are some
of the basic properties of addition and multiplication of real numbers.
Commutative Laws: a C b D b C a, for all a; b 2 R.

a b D b a, for all a; b 2 R.
Associative Laws: .a C b/Cc D aC.b C c/, for all a; b; c 2 R.

.a b/ c D a .b c/ , for all a; b; c 2 R.
Distributive Law: a .b C c/ D a b C a c, for all a; b; c 2 R.
Additive Identity: For all a 2 R, a C 0 D a D 0 C a.
Multiplicative Identity: For all a 2 R, a 1 D a D 1 a.
Additive Inverses: For all a 2 R, a C . a/ D 0 D . a/ C a.
1
Multiplicative Inverses: For all a 2 R with a ¤ 0, a a D1D
a 1 a.
Discuss the similarities and differences among the properties of addition and
multiplication of real numbers and the properties of union and intersection
of sets.
5.4 Cartesian Products
Preview Activity 1 (An Equation with Two Variables)

In Section 2.3, we introduced the concept of the truth set of an open sentence with
one variable. This was defined to be the set of all elements in the universal set that
can be substituted for the variable to make the open sentence a true statement.
In previous mathematics courses, we have also had experience with open sen-
tences with two variables. For example, if we assume that x and y represent real
numbers, then the equation
2x C 3y D 12
5.4. Cartesian Products 255
is an open sentence with two variables. An element of the truth set of this open
sentence (also called a solution of the equation) is an ordered pair .a; b/ of real
numbers so that when a is substituted for x and b is substituted for y, the open
sentence becomes a true statement (a true equation in this case). For example, we
see that the ordered pair .6; 0/ is in the truth set for this open sentence since
2 6 C 3 0 D 12
is a true statement. On the other hand, the ordered pair .4; 1/ is not in the truth set
for this open sentence since
2 4 C 3 1 D 12
is a false statement.
Important Note: The order of the two numbers in the ordered pair is very impor-
tant. We are using the convention that the first number is to be substituted for x
and the second number is to be substituted for y. With this convention, .3; 2/ is a
solution of the equation 2x C 3y D 12, but .2; 3/ is not a solution of this equation.
1. List six different elements of the truth set (often called the solution set) of
the open sentence with two variables 2x C 3y D 12.
2. From previous mathematics courses, we know that the graph of the equation
2x C 3y D 12 is a straight line. Sketch the graph of the equation 2x C
3y D 12 in the xy-coordinate plane. What does the graph of the equation
2x C 3y D 12 show?
3. Write a description of the solution set S of the equation 2x C 3y D 12 using

set builder notation.
Preview Activity 2 (The Cartesian Product of Two Sets)

In Activity 1, we worked with ordered pairs without providing a formal definition
of an ordered pair. We instead relied on your previous work with ordered pairs,
primarily from graphing equations with two variables. Following is a formal defi-
nition of an ordered pair.
Definition. Let A and B be sets. An ordered pair (with first element from
A and second element from B) is a single pair of objects, denoted by .a; b/,
with a 2 A and b 2 B and an implied order. This means that for two ordered
pairs to be equal, they must contain exactly the same objects in the same order.
That is, if a; c 2 A and b; d 2 B, then
.a; b/ D .c; d / if and only if a D c and b D d:
The objects in the ordered pair are called the coordinates of the ordered pair.
In the ordered pair .a; b/, a is the first coordinate and b is the second coor-
dinate.
We will now introduce a new set operation that gives a way of combining el-
ements from two given sets to form ordered pairs. The basic idea is that we will
create a set of ordered pairs.
Definition. If A and B are sets, then the Cartesian product, A B, of A and

B is the set of all ordered pairs .x; y/ where x 2 A and y 2 B. We use the
notation A B for the Cartesian product of A and B, and using set builder
notation, we can write
A B D f.x; y/ j x 2 A and y 2 Bg :
We frequently read A B as “A cross B.” In the case where the two sets are
the same, we will write A2 for A A. That is,
A2 D A A D f.a; b/ j a 2 A and b 2 Ag :
Let A D f1; 2; 3g and B D fa; bg.
1. Is the ordered pair .3; a/ in the Cartesian product A B? Explain.
2. Is the ordered pair .3; a/ in the Cartesian product A A? Explain.
3. Is the ordered pair .3; 1/ in the Cartesian product A A? Explain.
4. Use the roster method to specify all the elements of A B. (Remember that
the elements of A B will be ordered pairs.)
5. Use the roster method to specify all of the elements of the set A A D A2 .
6. For any sets C and D, explain carefully what it means to say that the ordered
pair .x; y/ is not in the Cartesian product C D.
Cartesian Products
When working with Cartesian products, it is important to remember that the Carte-
sian product of two sets is itself a set. As a set, it consists of a collection of el-
ements. In this case, the elements of a Cartesian product are ordered pairs. We
should think of an ordered pair as a single object that consists of two other objects
in a specified order. For example,
If a ¤ 1, then the ordered pair .1; a/ is not equal to the ordered pair .a; 1/.
That is, .1; a/ ¤ .a; 1/.
If A D f1; 2; 3g and B D fa; bg, then the ordered pair .3; a/ is an element
of the set A B. That is, .3; a/ 2 A B.
If A D f1; 2; 3g and B D fa; bg, then the ordered pair .5; a/ is not an
element of the set A B since 5 … A. That is, .5; a/ … A B.
In Section 5.3, we studied certain properties of set union, set intersection, and
set complements, which we called the algebra of sets. We will now begin some-
thing similar for Cartesian products. We begin by examining some specific exam-
ples in Progress Check 5.23 and a little later in Progress Check 5.24.
Progress Check 5.23 (Relationships between Cartesian Products)

Let A D f1; 2; 3g, T D f1; 2g, B D fa; bg , and C D fa; cg. We can then form
new sets from all of the set operations we have studied. For example, B \C D fag,
and so
A .B \ C / D f.1; a/ ; .2; a/ ; .3; a/g :
1. Use the roster method to list all of the elements (ordered pairs) in each of the
following sets:
(a) AB (f) A .B [ C /

(b) T B (g) .A B/ [ .A C /
(c) AC (h) A .B C /
(d) A .B \ C / (i) .A B/ .A C /
(e) .A B/ \ .A C / (j) BA
2. List all the relationships between the sets in Part (1) that you observe.
The Cartesian Plane
In Preview Activity 1, we sketched the graph of the equation 2x C 3y D 12 in the

xy-plane. This xy-plane, with which you are familiar, is a representation of the set
R R or R2 . This plane is called the Cartesian plane.
The basic idea is that each ordered pair of real numbers corresponds to a point
in the plane, and each point in the plane corresponds to an ordered pair of real
numbers. This geometric representation of R2 is an extension of the geometric
representation of R as a straight line whose points correspond to real numbers.
Since the Cartesian product R2 corresponds to the Cartesian plane, the Carte-
sian product of two subsets of R corresponds to a subset of the Cartesian plane.
For example, if A is the interval Œ1; 3, and B is the interval Œ2; 5, then
A B D .x; y/ 2 R2 j 1 x 3 and 2 y 5 :
˚
A graph of the set A B can then be drawn in the Cartesian plane as shown in
Figure 5.6.
y
6
1 2 3 4 x
Figure 5.6: Cartesian Product A B
This illustrates that the graph of a Cartesian product of two intervals of finite
length in R corresponds to the interior of a rectangle and possibly some or all of its
boundary. The solid line for the boundary in Figure 5.6 indicates that the boundary
is included. In this case, the Cartesian product contained all of the boundary of the
rectangle. When the graph does not contain a portion of the boundary, we usually
draw that portion of the boundary with a dotted line.
Note: A Caution about Notation. The standard notation for an open interval in R
is the same as the notation for an ordered pair, which is an element of R R. We
need to use the context in which the notation is used to determine which interpre-
tation is intended. For example,
p p
If we write 2; 7 2 R R, then we are using 2; 7 to represent an
ordered pair of real numbers.
If we write .1; 2/ f4g, then we are interpreting .1; 2/ as an open interval.

We could write
.1; 2/ f4g D f .x; 4/ j 1 < x < 2g:
The following progress check explores some of the same ideas explored in Progress
Check 5.23 except that intervals of real numbers are used for the sets.
Progress Check 5.24 (Cartesian Products of Intervals)

We will use the following intervals that are subsets of R.
A D Œ0; 2 T D .1; 2/ B D Œ2; 4/ C D .3; 5
1. Draw a graph of each of the following subsets of the Cartesian plane and
write each subset using set builder notation.
(a) A B (f) A .B [ C /
(b) T B (g) .A B/ [ .A C /
(c) A C (h) A .B C/
(d) A .B \ C / (i) .A B/ .A C /
(e) .A B/ \ .A C / (j) B A
2. List all the relationships between the sets in Part (1) that you observe.
One purpose of the work in Progress Checks 5.23 and 5.24 was to indicate the
plausibility of many of the results contained in the next theorem.
Theorem 5.25. Let A, B, and C be sets. Then
1. A .B \ C / D .A B/ \ .A C /
2. A .B [ C / D .A B/ [ .A C /
3. .A \ B/ C D .A C / \ .B C /
4. .A [ B/ C D .A C / [ .B C /
5. A .B C / D .A B/ .A C /
6. .A B/ C D .A C / .B C /
7. If T A, then T B A B.
8. If Y B, then A Y A B.
We will not prove all these results; rather, we will prove Part (2) of Theo-
rem 5.25 and leave some of the rest to the exercises. In constructing these proofs,
we need to keep in mind that Cartesian products are sets, and so we follow many of
the same principles to prove set relationships that were introduced in Sections 5.2
and 5.3.
The other thing to remember is that the elements of a Cartesian product are
ordered pairs. So when we start a proof of a result such as Part (2) of Theorem 5.25,
the primary goal is to prove that the two sets are equal. We will do this by proving
that each one is a subset of the other one. So if we want to prove that A.B [ C /
.A B/[ .A C /, we can start by choosing an arbitrary element of A .B [ C /.
The goal is then to show that this element must be in .A B/[.A C /. When we
start by choosing an arbitrary element of A .B [ C /, we could give that element
a name. For example, we could start by letting
u be an element of A .B [ C /: (1)
We can then use the definition of “ordered pair” to conclude that
there exists x 2 A and there exists y 2 B [ C such that u D .x; y/ : (2)
In order to prove that A .B [ C / .A B/ [ .A C /, we must now show that

the ordered pair u from (1) is in .A B/ [ .A C /. In order to do this, we can
use the definition of set union and prove that
u 2 .A B/ or u 2 .A C /: (3)
Since u D .x; y/, we can prove (3) by proving that
.x 2 A and y 2 B/ or .x 2 A and y 2 C / : (4)
If we look at the sentences in (2) and (4), it would seem that we are very close to
proving that A .B [ C / .A B/ [ .A C /. Following is a proof of Part (2)
of Theorem 5.25.
Theorem 5.25 (Part (2)). Let A, B, and C be sets. Then
A .B [ C / D .A B/ [ .A C / :
Proof. Let A, B, and C be sets. We will prove that A .B [ C / is equal to

.A B/ [ .A C / by proving that each set is a subset of the other set.
To prove that A .B [ C / .A B/ [ .A C /, we let u 2 A .B [ C /.
Then there exists x 2 A and there exists y 2 B [ C such that u D .x; y/. Since
y 2 B [ C , we know that y 2 B or y 2 C .
In the case where y 2 B, we have u D .x; y/, where x 2 A and y 2 B. So
in this case, u 2 A B, and hence u 2 .A B/ [ .A C /. Similarly, in the case
where y 2 C , we have u D .x; y/, where x 2 A and y 2 C . So in this case,
u 2 A C and, hence, u 2 .A B/ [ .A C /.
In both cases, u 2 .A B/ [ .A C /. Hence, we may conclude that if u is an
element of A .B [ C /, then u 2 .A B/ [ .A C /, and this proves that
A .B [ C / .A B/ [ .A C /: (1)
We must now prove that .A B/ [ .A C / A .B [ C /. So we let

v 2 .A B/ [ .A C /. Then v 2 .A B/ or v 2 .A C /.
In the case where v 2 .A B/, we know that there exists s 2 A and there
exists t 2 B such that v D .s; t /. But since t 2 B, we know that t 2 B [ C , and
hence v 2 A .B [ C /. Similarly, in the case where v 2 .A C /, we know that
there exists s 2 A and there exists t 2 C such that v D .s; t/. But because t 2 C ,
we can conclude that t 2 B [ C and, hence, v 2 A .B [ C /.
In both cases, v 2 A .B [ C /. Hence, we may conclude that if
v 2 .A B/ [ .A C /, then v 2 A .B [ C /, and this proves that
.A B/ [ .A C / A .B [ C /: (2)
The relationships in (1) and (2) prove that A.B [ C / D .A B/[.A C /.

Final Note. The definition of an ordered pair in Preview Activity 2 may have
seemed like a lengthy definition, but in some areas of mathematics, an even more
formal and precise definition of “ordered pair” is needed. This definition is ex-
plored in Exercise (10).

? 1. Let A D f1; 2g, B D fa; b; c; dg, and C D f1; a; bg. Use the roster method
to list all of the elements of each of the following sets:
(a) A B (e) A .B \ C /
(b) B A (f) .A B/ \ .A C /
(c) A C (g) A ;
2
(d) A (h) B f2g
2. Sketch a graph of each of the following Cartesian products in the Cartesian

plane.
(a) Œ0; 2 Œ1; 3 (e) R .2; 4/

(b) .0; 2/ .1; 3 (f) .2; 4/ R
(c) Œ2; 3 f1g (g) R f 1g
(d) f1g Œ2; 3 (h) f 1g Œ1; C1/
? 3. Prove Theorem 5.25, Part (1): A .B \ C / D .A B/ \ .A C /.

?
4. Prove Theorem 5.25, Part (4): .A [ B/ C D .A C / [ .B C /.
5. Prove Theorem 5.25, Part (5): A .B C / D .A B/ .A C /.
6. Prove Theorem 5.25, Part (7): If T A, then T B A B.
7. Let A D f1g; B D f2g; and C D f3g.
(a) Explain why A B ¤ B A.

(b) Explain why .A B/ C ¤ A .B C /.
8. Let A and B be nonempty sets. Prove that A B D B A if and only if

A D B.
9. Is the following proposition true or false? Justify your conclusion.

Let A, B, and C be sets with A ¤ ;. If A B D A C, then B D C.
Explain where the assumption that A ¤ ; is needed.
10. (A Set Theoretic Definition of an Ordered Pair) In elementary mathemat-

ics, the notion of an ordered pair introduced at the beginning of this section
will suffice. However, if we are interested in a formal development of the
Cartesian product of two sets, we need a more precise definition of ordered
pair. Following is one way to do this in terms of sets. This definition is
credited to Kazimierz Kuratowski (1896 – 1980). Kuratowski was a famous
Polish mathematician whose main work was in the areas of topology and set
theory. He was appointed the Director of the Polish Academy of Sciences
and served in that position for 19 years.
Let x be an element of the set A, and let y be an element of the set B. The
ordered pair .x; y/ is defined to be the set ffxg ; fx; ygg. That is,
.x; y/ D ffxg ; fx; ygg:
(a) Explain how this definition allows us to distinguish between the or-
dered pairs .3; 5/ and .5; 3/.
(b) Let A and B be sets and let a; c 2 A and b; d 2 B. Use this definition
of an ordered pair and the concept of set equality to prove that .a; b/ D
.c; d / if and only if a D c and b D d .
An ordered triple can be thought of as a single triple of objects, denoted

by .a; b; c/, with an implied order. This means that in order for two ordered
triples to be equal, they must contain exactly the same objects in the same
order. That is, .a; b; c/ D .p; q; r/ if and only if a D p, b D q and c D r.
(c) Let A, B, and C be sets, and let x 2 A; y 2 B; and z 2 C . Write a

set theoretic definition of the ordered triple .x; y; z/ similar to the set
theoretic definition of “ordered pair.”
5.5 Indexed Families of Sets
Preview Activity 1 (The Union and Intersection of a Family of Sets)

In Section 5.3, we discussed various properties of set operations. We will now
focus on the associative properties for set union and set intersection. Notice that
the definition of “set union” tells us how to form the union of two sets. It is the
associative law that allows us to discuss the union of three sets. Using the associate
law, if A, B, and C are subsets of some universal set, then we can define A[B [C
to be .A [ B/ [ C or A [ .B [ C /. That is,
A [ B [ C D .A [ B/ [ C D A [ .B [ C /:
For this activity, the universal set is N and we will use the following four sets:
A D f1; 2; 3; 4; 5g C D f3; 4; 5; 6; 7g
B D f2; 3; 4; 5; 6g D D f4; 5; 6; 7; 8g.
1. Use the roster method to specify the sets A [ B [ C , B [ C [ D, A \ B \ C ,

and B \ C \ D.
2. Use the roster method to specify each of the following sets. In each case, be
sure to follow the order specified by the parentheses.
(a) .A [ B [ C / [ D (e) .A \ B \ C / \ D
(b) A [ .B [ C [ D/ (f) A \ .B \ C \ D/
(c) A [ .B [ C / [ D (g) A \ .B \ C / \ D
(d) .A [ B/ [ .C [ D/ (h) .A \ B/ \ .C \ D/
3. Based on the work in Part (2), does the placement of the parentheses matter
when determining the union (or intersection) of these four sets? Does this
make it possible to define A [ B [ C [ D and A \ B \ C \ D?
We have already seen that the elements of a set may themselves be sets. For
example, the power set of a set T , P.T /, is the set of all subsets of T . The phrase,
“a set of sets” sounds confusing, and so we often use the terms collection and
family when we wish to emphasize that the elements of a given set are themselves
sets. We would then say that the power set of T is the family (or collection) of sets
that are subsets of T .
One of the purposes of the work we have done so far in this activity was to
show that it is possible to define the union and intersection of a family of sets.
5.5. Indexed Families of Sets 265
Definition. Let C be a family of sets. The union of C is defined as the set of

all elements that are in at least one of the sets in C. We write
[
X D fx 2 U j x 2 X for some X 2 Cg
X2C
The intersection of C is defined as the set of all elements that are in all of the
sets in C. That is,
\
X D fx 2 U j x 2 X for all X 2 Cg
X2C
For example, consider the four sets A, B, C , and D used earlier in this activity and
the sets
S D f5; 6; 7; 8; 9g and T D f6; 7; 8; 9; 10g :
We can then consider the following families of sets: A D fA; B; C; Dg and

B D fA; B; C; D; S; T g.
4. Explain why
[ \
X DA[B [C [D and X D A \ B \ C \ D;
X2A X2A
S T
and use your work in (1), (2), and (3) to determine X and X.
X2A X2A
S T
5. Use the roster method to specify X and X.
X2B X2B
c
X c. Remember
S T
6. Use the roster method to specify the sets X and
X2A X2A
that the universal set is N.
Preview Activity 2 (An Indexed Family of Sets)

We often use subscripts to identify sets. For example, in Preview Activity 1, instead
of using A, B, C , and D as the names of the sets, we could have used A1 , A2 , A3 ,
and A4 . When we do this, we are using the subscript as an identifying tag, or
index, for each set. We can also use this idea to specify an infinite family of sets.
For example, for each natural number n, we define
Cn D fn; n C 1; n C 2; n C 3; n C 4g:
4
S
So if we have a family of sets C D fC1 ; C2 ; C3 ; C4 g, we use the notation Cj to
j D1
S
mean the same thing as X.
X2C
4
S 4
T
1. Determine Cj and Cj.
j D1 j D1
We can see that with the use of subscripts, we do not even have to define the family
of sets A. We can work with the infinite family of sets
C D fAn j n 2 Ng
and use the subscripts to indicate which sets to use in a union or an intersection.
2. Use the roster method to specify each of the following pairs of sets. The
universal set is N.
6
S 6
T 8
S 8
T
(a) Cj and Cj (c) Cj and Cj
j D1 j D1 j D4 j D4
!c
8 8 4 4
Cjc
S T T S
(b) Cj and Cj (d) Cj and
j D1 j D1 j D1 j D1
The Union and Intersection of an Indexed Family of Sets
One of the purposes of the preview activities was to show that we often encounter
situations in which more than two sets are involved, and it is possible to define the
union and intersection of more than two sets. In Preview Activity 2, we also saw
that it is often convenient to “index” the sets in a family of sets. In particular, if n
is a natural number and A D fA1 ; A2; : : : ; An g is a family of n sets, then the union
Sn
of these n sets, denoted by A1 [ A2 [ [ An or Aj , is defined as
j D1
n
[ ˚
Aj D x 2 U j x 2 Aj ; for some j with 1 j n :
j D1
We can also define the intersection of these n sets, denoted by A1 \ A2 \ \ An

n
T
or Aj , as
j D1
n
\ ˚
Aj D x 2 U j x 2 Aj ; for all j with 1 j n :
j D1
We can also extend this idea to define the union and intersection of a family that
consists of infinitely many sets. So if B D fB1 ; B2 ; : : : ; Bn ; : : : g, then
1
[ ˚
Bj D x 2 U j x 2 Bj ; for some j with j 1 ; and
j D1
1
\ ˚
Bj D x 2 U j x 2 Bj ; for all j with j 1 :
j D1
Progress Check 5.26 (An Infinite Family of Sets)

For each natural number n, let An D 1; n; n2 . For example,
˚
A1 D f1g A2 D f1; 2; 4g, A3 D f1; 3; 9g,
and
3
S 3
T
Aj D f1; 2; 3; 4; 9g, Aj D f1g.
j D1 j D1
Determine each of the following sets:

6 6 1
S
5. Aj
S S
1. Aj 3. Aj
j D1 j D3 j D1
6
T 6
T 1
T
2. Aj 4. Aj 6. Aj
j D1 j D3 j D1
In all of the examples we have studied so far, we have used N or a subset of N

to index or label the sets in a family of sets. We can use other sets to index or label
sets in a family of sets. For example, for each real number x, we can define Bx to
be the closed interval Œx; x C 2. That is,
Bx D fy 2 R j x y x C 2g :
So we make the following definition. In this definition, ƒ is the uppercase Greek

letter lambda and ˛ is the lowercase Greek letter alpha.
Definition. Let ƒ be a nonempty set and suppose that for each ˛ 2 ƒ, there is
a corresponding set A˛ . The family of sets fA˛ j ˛ 2 ƒg is called an indexed
family of sets indexed by ƒ. Each ˛ 2 ƒ is called an index and ƒ is called
an indexing set.
Progress Check 5.27 (Indexed Families of Sets)

In each of the indexed families of sets that we seen so far, if the indices were
different, then the sets were different. That is, if ƒ is an indexing set for the family
of sets A D fA˛ j ˛ 2 ƒg, then if ˛; ˇ 2 ƒ and ˛ ¤ ˇ, then A˛ ¤ Aˇ . (Note:
The letter ˇ is the Greek lowercase beta.)
1. Let ƒ D f1; 2; 3; 4g, and for each n 2 ƒ, let An D f2n C 6; 16 2ng, and
let A D fA1 ; A2; A3 ; A4 g. Determine A1 , A2 , A3 , and A4 .
2. Is the following statement true or false for the indexed family A in (1)?
For all m; n 2 ƒ, if m ¤ n, then Am ¤ An .
3. Now let ƒ D R. For each x 2 R, define Bx D 0; x 2; x 4 . Is the following

˚
statement true for the indexed family of sets B D fBx j x 2 Rg?

For all x; y 2 R, if x ¤ y, then Bx ¤ By .
We now restate the definitions of the union and intersection of a family of sets
for an indexed family of sets.
Definition. Let ƒ be a nonempty indexing set and let A D fA˛ j ˛ 2 ƒg

be an indexed family of sets. The union over A is defined as the set of all
elements that are in at least one of sets A˛ , where ˛ 2 ƒ. We write
[
A˛ D fx 2 U j there exists an ˛ 2 ƒ with x 2 A˛ g:
˛2ƒ
The intersection over A is the set of all elements that are in all of the sets A˛
for each ˛ 2 ƒ. That is,
\
A˛ D fx 2 U j for all ˛ 2 ƒ; x 2 A˛ g:
˛2ƒ
Example 5.28 (A Family of Sets Indexed by the Positive Real Numbers)

For each positive real number ˛, let A˛ be the interval . 1; ˛. That is,
A˛ D fx 2 R j 1 < x ˛g:
If we let RC be the set of positive real numbers, then we have a family of sets
indexed by RC . We will first determine the union of this family of sets. Notice
that for each ˛ 2 RC , ˛ 2 A˛ , and if y is a real number with 1 < y 0, then
y 2 A˛ . Also notice that if y 2 R and y < 1, then for each ˛ 2 RC , y … A˛ .
With these observations, we conclude that
[
A˛ D . 1; 1/ D fx 2 R j 1 < xg:
˛2RC
To determine the intersection of this family, notice that
if y 2 R and y < 1, then for each ˛ 2 RC , y … A˛ ;
if y 2 R and 1 < y 0, then y 2 A˛ for each ˛ 2 RC ; and

y
if y 2 R and y > 0, then if we let ˇ D , y > ˇ and y … Aˇ .
2
From these observations, we conclude that

\
A˛ D . 1; 0 D fx 2 R j 1 < x 0g:
˛2RC
Progress Check 5.29 (A Continuation of Example 5.28)

Using the family of sets from Example 5.28, for each ˛ 2 RC , we see that
Ac˛ D . 1; 1 [ .˛; 1/:
Use the results from Example 5.28 to help determine each of the following sets.
For each set, use either interval notation or set builder notation.
!c !c
S T
1. A˛ 3. A˛
˛2RC ˛2RC
Ac˛ Ac˛
T S
2. 4.
˛2RC ˛2RC
Properties of Union and Intersection
In Theorem 5.30, we will prove some properties of set operations for indexed fami-
lies of sets. Some of these properties are direct extensions of corresponding proper-
ties for two sets. For example, we have already proved De Morgan’s Laws for two
sets in Theorem 5.20 on page 248. The work in the preview activities and Progress
Check 5.29 suggests that we should get similar results using set operations with an
indexed family of sets. For example, in Preview Activity 2, we saw that
0 1c
4
\ 4
[
@ Aj A D Ajc :
j D1 j D1
Theorem 5.30. Let ƒ be a nonempty indexing set and let A D fA˛ j ˛ 2 ƒg be

an indexed family of sets, each of which is a subset of some universal set U . Then
T
1. For each ˇ 2 ƒ, A˛ Aˇ .
˛2ƒ
S
2. For each ˇ 2 ƒ, Aˇ A˛ .
˛2ƒ
c
Ac˛
T S
3. A˛ D
˛2ƒ ˛2ƒ
c
Ac˛
S T
4. A˛ D
˛2ƒ ˛2ƒ
Parts (3) and (4) are known as De Morgan’s Laws.
Proof. We will prove Parts (1) and (3). The proofs of Parts (2) and (4) are included
in Exercise (4). So we let ƒ be a nonempty indexing set and let A D fA˛ j ˛ 2 ƒg
be an indexed family of sets. To prove Part (1), we let ˇ 2 ƒ and note that if
T
x 2 A˛ , then x 2 A˛ , for all ˛ 2 ƒ. Since ˇ is one element in ƒ, we may
˛2ƒ
T
conclude that x 2 Aˇ . This proves that A˛ Aˇ .
˛2ƒ
To provePart (3), we will prove that each set
is a subset
of the other set. We
c
T T
first let x 2 A˛ . This means that x … A˛ , and this means that
˛2ƒ ˛2ƒ
there exists a ˇ 2 ƒ such that x … Aˇ .
Hence, x 2 Acˇ , which implies that x 2 Ac˛ . Therefore, we have proved that
S
˛2ƒ
!c
\ [
A˛ Ac˛ : (1)
˛2ƒ ˛2ƒ
Ac˛ . This means that there exists a ˇ 2 ƒ such that

S
We now let y 2
˛2ƒ
y 2 Acˇ or y … Aˇ . However, since y … Aˇ , we may conclude that y …
T
A˛
c ˛2ƒ
T
and, hence, y 2 A˛ . This proves that
˛2ƒ
!c
[ \
Ac˛ A˛ : (2)
˛2ƒ ˛2ƒ
c
Ac˛ .
T S
Using the results in (1) and (2), we have proved that A˛ D
˛2ƒ ˛2ƒ
Many of the other properties of set operations are also true for indexed families
of sets. Theorem 5.31 states the distributive laws for set operations.
Theorem 5.31. Let ƒ be a nonempty indexing set, let A D fA˛ j ˛ 2 ƒg be an

indexed family of sets, and let B be a set. Then

S S
1. B \ A˛ D .B \ A˛ /, and
˛2ƒ ˛2ƒ

T T
2. B [ A˛ D .B [ A˛ /.
˛2ƒ ˛2ƒ
The proof of Theorem 5.31 is Exercise (5).
Pairwise Disjoint Families of Sets
In Section 5.2, we defined two sets A and B to be disjoint provided that A\B D ;.
In a similar manner, if ƒ is a nonempty indexing set and A D fA˛ j ˛ 2 ƒg is
an indexed family of sets, we can say that this indexed family of sets is disjoint
T
provided that A˛ D ;. However, we can use the concept of two disjoint sets
˛2ƒ
to define a somewhat more interesting type of “disjointness” for an indexed family
of sets.
Definition. Let ƒ be a nonempty indexing set, and let A D fA˛ j ˛ 2 ƒg be

an indexed family of sets. We say that A is pairwise disjoint provided that
for all ˛ and ˇ in ƒ, if A˛ ¤ Aˇ , then A˛ \ Aˇ D ;.
Progress Check 5.32 (Disjoint Families of Sets)

Figure 5.7 shows two families of sets,
A D fA1 ; A2 ; A3; A4 g and B D fB1 ; B2 ; B3 ; B4 g.
U U
A B1 B4
1
A4
A2 B2 B3
A3
Figure 5.7: Two Families of Indexed Sets
1. Is the family of sets A a disjoint family of sets? A pairwise disjoint family

of sets?
2. Is the family of sets B a disjoint family of sets? A pairwise disjoint family

of sets?
Now let the universal set be R. For each n 2 N, let Cn D .n; 1/, and let
C D fCn j n 2 Ng.
3. Is the family of sets C a disjoint family of sets? A pairwise disjoint family of

sets?
1. For each natural number n, let An D fn; n C 1; n C 2; n C 3g. Use the

roster method to specify each of the following sets:
3 7
? ?
T S
(a) Aj (d) Aj
j D1 j D3
!
3
S 7
S
(b) Aj (e) A9 \ Aj
j D1 j D3
7
T 7
S
(c) Aj (f) A9 \ Aj
j D3 j D3
2. For each natural number n, let An D fk 2 N j k n g. Assuming the uni-

versal set is N, use the roster method or set builder notation to specify each
of the following sets:
5 5
?
T S
(a) Aj (e) Aj
j D1 j D1
!c !c
5
T 5
(b) Aj ?
(f)
S
Aj
j D1 j D1
5
? Ajc
T
(c)
T
(g) Aj
j D1 j 2N
5
?
Ajc
S S
(d) (h) Aj
j D1 j 2N
r 2; r 2 .

3. For each positive real number r, define Tr to be the closed interval
That is,
Tr D x 2 R ˇ r 2 x r 2 :
˚ ˇ
Let ƒ D fm 2 N j1 m 10g. Use either interval notation or set builder

notation to specify each of the following sets:
?
S S S
(a) Tk (c) Tr (e) Tk
k2ƒ r 2RC k2N
?
T T T
(b) Tk (d) Tr (f) Tk
k2ƒ r 2RC k2N
4. Prove Parts (2) and (4) of Theorem 5.30. Let ƒ be a nonempty indexing set
and let A D fA˛ j ˛ 2 ƒg be an indexed family of sets.
?
S
(a) For each ˇ 2 ƒ, Aˇ A˛ .
˛2ƒ
c
Ac˛
S T
(b) A˛ D
˛2ƒ ˛2ƒ
5. Prove Theorem 5.31. Let ƒ be a nonempty indexing set, let A D fA˛ j ˛ 2 ƒg

be an indexed family of sets, and let B be a set. Then

? (a) B \
S S
A˛ D .B \ A˛ /, and
˛2ƒ ˛2ƒ

T T
(b) B [ A˛ D .B [ A˛ /.
˛2ƒ ˛2ƒ
6. Let ƒ and be nonempty indexing sets. (Note: The letter is˚the uppercase
Greek letter gamma.) Also, let A D fA˛ j ˛ 2 ƒg and B D Bˇ j ˇ 2
be indexed families of sets. Use the distributive laws in Exercise (5) to:
!
S S
(a) Write A˛ \ Bˇ as a union of intersections of two sets.
˛2ƒ ˇ 2
!
T T
(b) Write A˛ [ Bˇ as an intersection of unions of two
˛2ƒ ˇ 2
sets.
7. Let ƒ be a nonempty indexing set and let A D fA˛ j ˛ 2 ƒg be an indexed

family of sets. Also, assume that ƒ and ¤ ;. Prove that
S S T T
(a) A˛ A˛ (b) A˛ A˛
˛2 ˛2ƒ ˛2ƒ ˛2
8. Let ƒ be a nonempty indexing set and let A D fA˛ j ˛ 2 ƒg be an indexed

family of sets.
?
(a) Prove that if B is a set such that B A˛ for every ˛ 2 ƒ, then
T
B A˛ .
˛2ƒ
(b) Prove that if C is a set such that A˛ C for every ˛ 2 ƒ, then
S
A˛ C .
˛2ƒ
9. For each natural number n, let An D fx 2 R j n 1 < x < ng. Prove that
fAn j n 2 N g is a pairwise disjoint family of sets and that

An D R C N .
S
n2N
10. For each natural number n, let An D fk 2 N j k ng. Determine if the

following statements are true or false. Justify each conclusion.
(a) For all j; k 2 N, if j ¤ k, then Aj \ Ak ¤ ;.

T
(b) Ak D ;
k2N
11. Give an example of an indexed family of sets fAn jn 2 N g such all three of
the following conditions are true:
(i) For each m 2 N, Am .0; 1/;
(ii) For each j; k 2 N, if j ¤ k, then Aj \ Ak ¤ ;; and
T
(iii) Ak D ;.
k2N
12. Let ƒ be a nonempty indexing set, let A D fA˛ j ˛ 2 ƒg be an indexed

family of sets, and let B be a set. Use the results of Theorem 5.30 and
Theorem 5.31 to prove each of the following:

?
S S
(a) A˛ BD .A˛ B/
˛2ƒ ˛2ƒ

T T
(b) A˛ BD .A˛ B/
˛2ƒ ˛2ƒ

S T
(c) B A˛ D .B A˛ /
˛2ƒ ˛2ƒ

T S
(d) B A˛ D .B A˛ /
˛2ƒ ˛2ƒ
13. An Indexed Family of Subsets of the Cartesian Plane. Let R be the set
of nonnegative real numbers, and for each r 2 R , let
Cr D .x; y/ 2 R R j x 2 C y 2 D r 2
˚
Dr D .x; y/ 2 R R j x 2 C y 2 r 2
˚
Tr D .x; y/ 2 R R j x 2 C y 2 > r 2 D Drc :

˚
If r > 0, then the set Cr is the circle of radius r with center at the origin
as shown in Figure 5.8, and the set Dr is the shaded disk (including the
boundary) shown in Figure 5.8.
y y
r r
r r
x x
Cr Dr
Figure 5.8: Two Sets for Activity 13
S T
(a) Determine Cr and Cr .
r 2R r 2R
S T
(b) Determine Dr and Dr .
r 2R r 2R
S T
(c) Determine Tr and Tr .
r 2R r 2R
(d) Let C D fCr j r 2 R g, D D fDr j r 2 R g, and T D fTr j r 2 R g.
Are any of these indexed families of sets pairwise disjoint? Explain.
Now let I be the closed interval Œ0; 2 and let J be the closed interval Œ1; 2.
S T S T
(e) Determine Cr , Cr , Cr , and Cr .
r 2I r 2I r 2J r 2J
S T S T
(f) Determine Dr , Dr , Dr , and Dr .
r 2I r 2I r 2J r 2J
c c c c
S T S T
(g) Determine Dr , Dr , Dr , and Dr .
r 2I r 2I r 2J r 2J
S T S T
(h) Determine Tr , Tr , Tr , and Tr .
r 2I r 2I r 2J r 2J
(i) Use De Morgan’s Laws to explain the relationship between your an-
swers in Parts (13g) and (13h).
5.6. Chapter 5 Summary 277
5.6 Chapter 5 Summary
Important Definitions
Equal sets, page 55 Ordered pair, page 256

Subset, page 55 Union over a family of sets,
Proper subset, page 218 page 265
Power set, page 222 Intersection over a family of sets,

page 265
Cardinality of a finite set,
page 223 Indexing set, page 268
Intersection of two sets, page 216
Indexed family of sets, page 268
Union of two sets, page 216
Union over an indexed family of
Set difference, page 216 sets, page 268
Complement of a set, page 216 Intersection over an indexed fam-
Disjoint sets, page 236 ily of sets, page 268
Cartesian product of two sets, Pairwise disjoint family of sets,

pages 256 page 272
Important Theorems and Results about Sets
Theorem 5.5. Let n be a nonnegative integer and let A be a subset of some

universal set. If A is a finite set with n elements, then A has 2n subsets. That
is, if jAj D n, then jP .A/j D 2n.
Theorem 5.18. Let A, B, and C be subsets of some universal set U. Then
all of the following equalities hold.
Properties of the Empty Set A\;D; A\U DA
and the Universal Set A[;DA A[U DU
Idempotent Laws A\A DA A[A DA
Commutative Laws A\B DB \A A[B DB [A
Associative Laws .A \ B/ \ C D A \ .B \ C /
.A [ B/ [ C D A [ .B [ C /
Distributive Laws A \ .B [ C / D .A \ B/ [ .A \ C /
A [ .B \ C / D .A [ B/ \ .A [ C /
Theorem 5.20. Let A and B be subsets of some universal set U . Then the
following are true:
Basic Properties .Ac /c D A
A B D A \ Bc
Empty Set, Universal Set A ; D A and A U D ;

;c D U and U c D ;
De Morgan’s Laws .A \ B/c D Ac [ B c
.A [ B/c D Ac \ B c
Subsets and Complements A B if and only if B c Ac .
Theorem 5.25. Let A, B, and C be sets. Then
1. A .B \ C / D .A B/ \ .A C /
2. A .B [ C / D .A B/ [ .A C /
3. .A \ B/ C D .A C / \ .B C /
4. .A [ B/ C D .A C / [ .B C /
5. A .B C / D .A B/ .A C /
6. .A B/ C D .A C / .B C /
7. If T A, then T B A B.
8. If Y B, then A Y A B.
Theorem 5.30. Let ƒ be a nonempty indexing set and let A D fA˛ j ˛ 2 ƒg

be an indexed family of sets. Then
T
1. For each ˇ 2 ƒ, A˛ Aˇ .
˛2ƒ
T
2. For each ˇ 2 ƒ, Aˇ A˛ .
˛2ƒ
c
Ac˛
T S
3. A˛ D
˛2ƒ ˛2ƒ
c
Ac˛
S T
4. A˛ D
˛2ƒ ˛2ƒ
Parts (3) and (4) are known as De Morgan’s Laws.

5.6. Chapter 5 Summary 279
Theorem 5.31. Let ƒ be a nonempty indexing set, let A D fA˛ j ˛ 2 ƒg be

an indexed family of sets, and let B be a set. Then

S S
1. B \ A˛ D .B \ A˛ /, and
˛2ƒ ˛2ƒ

T T
2. B [ A˛ D .B [ A˛ /.
˛2ƒ ˛2ƒ
Important Proof Method
The Choose-an-Element Method

The choose-an-element method is frequently used when we encounter a universal
quantifier in a statement in the backward process of a proof. This statement often
has the form
For each element with a given property, something happens.
In the forward process of the proof, we then we choose an arbitrary element with
the given property.
Whenever we choose an arbitrary element with a given property,

we are not selecting a specific element. Rather, the only thing we
can assume about the element is the given property.
For more information, see page 232.

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Chapter 5

5.1 Sets and Operations on Sets

Preview Activity 1 (Set Operations)

A D f1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6g and B D f1; 3; 5; 7; 9g;

Definition. Let A and B be subsets of some universal set U. The intersection

A D f0; 1; 2; 3; 9g and B D f2; 3; 4; 5; 6g.

So in this case, A \ B D fx 2 U j x 2 A and x 2 Bg D f2; 3g. Use the roster

A \ B c D f0; 1; 2; 3; 9g \ f0; 1; 7; 8; 9; 10g D f0; 1; 9g:

Use the roster method to specify each of the following subsets of U .

Preview Activity 2 (Venn Diagrams for Two Sets)

Figure 5.1: Venn Diagram for Two Sets

Region Elements of U Set

Figure 5.2: Venn Diagram for A [ B

Set Equality, Subsets, and Proper Subsets

However, sometimes we need to indicate that a set X is a subset of Y but X ¤ Y .

then X  Y . We know that X  Y since each element of X is an element of Y ,

AB means .8x 2 U / Œ.x 2 A/ ! .x 2 B/.

A 6 B means : .8x 2 U / Œ.x 2 A/ ! .x 2 B/

So we see that A 6 B means that there exists an x in U such that x 2 A and

; 6 B means that there exists an x 2 ; such that x … B.

Theorem 5.1. For any set B, ;  B and B  B.

an element of A, that is, B  A. Conversely, if A  B and B  A, then A and

Theorem 5.2. Let A and B be subsets of some universal set U. Then A D B if

Progress Check 5.3 (Using Set Notation)

More about Venn Diagrams

In Preview Activity 2, we learned how to use Venn diagrams as a visual represen-

Figure 5.3: Venn Diagram for A \ C

Figure 5.4: Venn Diagram Showing A  B

Progress Check 5.4 (Using Venn Diagrams)

(a) .A \ B/ \ C (c) .Ac [ B/

2. Draw the most general Venn diagram showing B  .A [ C /.

3. Draw the most general Venn diagram showing A  .B c [ C /.

The Power Set of a Set

The symbol 2 is used to describe a relationship between an element of the univer-

Definition. If A is a subset of a universal set U , then the set whose members

That is, X 2 P.A/ if and only if X  A.

;; fag; fbg; fa; bg: (1)

We can write this as

which means that

Notice that we could write

fa; cg  B or that fa; cg 2 P.B/:

The Cardinality of a Finite Set

Definition. The number of elements in a finite set A is called the cardinality

Theoretical Note: There is a mathematical way to distinguish between finite and

Standard Number Systems

We can add and multiply complex numbers as follows: If a; b; c; d 2 R, then

Exercises for Section 5.1

(a) Is the set A equal to the set B?

(a) The set fa; bg is a subset of fa; c; d; eg.

(c) The empty set ; is a subset of f1g.

A D f3; 4; 5; 6; 7g; B D f1; 5; 7; 9g;

8. Let U D N, and let

9. Let P , Q, R, and S be subsets of a universal set U . Assume that

(a) Complete the following sentence:

10. Let U be the universal set. Consider the following statement:

For all A and B that are subsets of U , if A  B, then B c  Ac .

Is the following proposition concerning sets true or false? Either provide a

Explorations and Activities

15. Intervals of Real Numbers. In previous mathematics courses, we have fre-

(a) Is .a; b/ a proper subset of .a; b? Explain.

(a) Determine the intersection and union of Œ2; 5 and Œ 1; C1/.

Now let a, b, and c be real numbers with a < b.

Lemma 5.6. Let A and B be subsets of some universal set. If A D B [ fxg,

Case 1: Assume that x … Y. Let y 2 Y . Then y 2 A and y ¤ x. Since

then X Y . We know that X Y since each element of X is an element of Y ,

AB means .8x 2 U / Œ.x 2 A/ ! .x 2 B/.

A 6 B means : .8x 2 U / Œ.x 2 A/ ! .x 2 B/

So we see that A 6 B means that there exists an x in U such that x 2 A and

; 6 B means that there exists an x 2 ; such that x … B.

Theorem 5.1. For any set B, ; B and B B.

an element of A, that is, B A. Conversely, if A B and B A, then A and

Figure 5.4: Venn Diagram Showing A B

2. Draw the most general Venn diagram showing B .A [ C /.

3. Draw the most general Venn diagram showing A .B c [ C /.

That is, X 2 P.A/ if and only if X A.

fa; cg B or that fa; cg 2 P.B/:

For all A and B that are subsets of U , if A B, then B c Ac .

(a) Is .a; b/ a proper subset of .a; b? Explain.

(a) Determine the intersection and union of Œ2; 5 and Œ 1; C1/.

this means that y must be in B. Therefore, Y B.

Cases (1) and (2) show that if Y A, then Y B or Y D C [ fxg, where

Proposition 5.10. Let A and B be subsets of the universal set U . If A B, then

1. The conclusion of the conditional statement is B c Ac . Explain why we

This means that x 2 A \ B, and hence we have proved that A .A B/ A \ B.

Figure 5.5: Venn Diagram with A B

The contrapositive of “If P , then T D ;” is, “If T ¤ ;, then :P .” So in

Using a proof by contradiction, we would assume P and assume that T ¤ ;.

Proposition 5.14. Let A and B be subsets of some universal set. Then A B if

So assume that A \ B c ¤ ;. We will prove that A 6 B by proving that there must

This means that A 6 B, and hence, we have proved that if A \ B c ¤ ;, then

A D fx 2 Z j x 3 .mod 12/g and B D fy 2 Z j y 2 .mod 8/g:

(a) Is A B? Justify your conclusion with a proof or a counterexample.

(b) Is B A? Justify your conclusion with a proof or a counterexample.

(a) Draw a Venn diagram with A B and B C . Does it appear that

? 3. Let A D fx 2 Z j x 7 .mod 8/g and B D fx 2 Z j x 3 .mod 4/g.

4. Let C D fx 2 Z j x 7 .mod 9/g and D D fx 2 Z j x 1 .mod 3/g.

5. In each case, determine if A B, B A, A D B, or A \ B D ; or none

(a) If A B and C D and A and C are disjoint, then B and D are

(i) S [ T X [ Y; (ii) S \ T D ;; and (iii) X S.

(a) Let A, B, and C be subsets of some universal set. If A 6 B and

(c) Let A, B, and C be subsets of some universal set. If A 6 B and

Proof. Assume that A 6 B and B C . Since A 6 B, there exists